TRANSPORT

Leominster Station

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to provide disabled access to Leominster station.

Tony McNulty: The SRA is considering how best to prioritise a programme of works to ensure stations and train services meet the accessibility requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. The SRA will consult widely on draft criteria next year. The implementation of works will be subject to the availability of funding.

Heathrow Airport

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the (a) M4 and the (b) M25 would need to expand to accommodate further traffic if a third runway was constructed at Heathrow airport.

Tony McNulty: "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" consultation document covered the impact of a third runway at Heathrow airport on the M4 and the M25. These roads were also considered in the Thames Valley and Orbit multi-modal studies. The Secretary of State's response to those studies was published in July 2003.
	The Government's conclusions on UK airport capacity, including surface access issues, have been set out in the White Paper, published today.

Ministerial Visits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to visit the East Midlands to discuss the proposed expansion of East Midlands airport;
	(2)  when he next plans to visit Leicester.

Tony McNulty: I visited East Midlands Airport in September and have discussed its future development with a number of interested parties. Our conclusions on the proposed development of the airport have been published today in the air transport White Paper. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to visit Leicester at present.

Parking Fines

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what powers private operators of local authority car parks may pursue (a) civil action and (b) criminal action for unpaid fines levied on late and non-payers of car park charges.

David Jamieson: Section 4(3) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 provides that the council of a county, district, London borough or the Common Council of the City of London may institute proceedings for offences under section 35A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (contravention of an order as to the use of a parking place). It is an established legal principle that a power delegated to one body may not be further delegated in the absence of express provision or necessary implication. This does not, however, prevent a local authority lawfully exercising its prosecution functions under section 4(3) with the assistance of service providers. In any given case, it is for the local authority to ensure that any arrangements it makes with a service provider are lawful and in accordance with its statutory functions.

Rail Services

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the total public investment in transport in England and Wales was spent on railways in the last year for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The Department's provisional outturn expenditure for 2002–03 (as recorded in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper 2002–03, Cm5884) was £8.8 billion. Of this, £2.8 billion or 32 per cent. was spent on railways. DfT's expenditure was across the UK as a whole, with additional funding for transport provided by the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government. It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of the proportion of spending specifically in England and Wales.

US Ships (Decommissioning)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the earliest date is on which the Government expects the return to the United States of the US Navy ships moored in Hartlepool could safely begin, assuming normal weather conditions.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 December 2003
	A return passage would be permitted only when application is made; and detailed arrangements approved by the sending and receiving States.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Zimbabwe

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to enforce the sanctions regime in place against Zimbabwe.

Chris Mullin: Her Majesty's Government continue to fully implement EU measures against Zimbabwe. These comprise an arms embargo, including for equipment that might be used for internal repression, and an assets freeze and travel ban on President Mugabe and 78 of his associates. The details are set out in the EU's Common Position 2002/145/CFSP, the EC Regulation 310/2002 and their subsequent amendments.

Zimbabwe

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's future relationship with Zimbabwe following its departure from the Commonwealth.

Chris Mullin: The UK maintains diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe. Following the Commonwealth decision to maintain Zimbabwe's suspension, some of Mugabe's supporters have called for the breaking of diplomatic relations with the UK and the expulsion of the British High Commission. This would only serve to damage further Zimbabwe's reputation and the Zimbabwean people.

Cameroon

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights in Cameroon.

Chris Mullin: We are concerned about Cameroon's record on human rights and regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Cameroon. We are closely involved in the Commonwealth's work to assist the Government of Cameroon to meet the standards laid down in the Harare Declaration, and we provide bilateral assistance for relevant projects and initiatives.

Middle East

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what influence the United Kingdom is exerting on the United States to put pressure on the Israeli Government to stop the building of the wall.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the Middle East Peace Process with President Bush during his recent visit to London. In a joint statement on 20 November, they called on all parties to fulfil their obligations under the roadmap, and to refrain from steps which would prevent or prejudge the terms of a final settlement.
	Additionally, the Foreign Secretary, FCO officials and I regularly discuss key elements of the Middle East Peace Process with the US Administration.
	The Government recognises Israel's legitimate security concerns, and deplores the terrorist suicide bombings of Israeli civilians. But, we consider Israel's building of a wall, or fence, on occupied land to be unlawful, and have urged the Israeli government to reconsider the route of the fence.

Middle East

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the US Administration to encourage them to exert pressure on the Israeli Government in relation to the building of the wall.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the middle east peace process with President Bush during the latter's recent visit to London. In a joint statement on 20 November, they called on all parties to fulfil their obligations under the roadmap, and to refrain from steps which would prevent or prejudge the terms of a final settlement.
	Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, my noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss key elements of the middle east peace process with the US Administration.
	The Government recognise Israel's legitimate security concerns, and deplores the terrorist suicide bombings of Israeli civilians. But we consider Israel's building of a fence on occupied land to be unlawful, and have urged the Israeli government to reconsider the route of the fence.

Middle East

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further consultation he has had with Palestinian and Israeli authorities on the impact of the security wall built by the Israelis.

Bill Rammell: The Government continues to urge the Government of Israel to re-route the fence away from Palestinian areas. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have made clear our concerns to the Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on a number of occasions. I raised the matter with the Israeli Foreign Minister during my visit to Israel on 30 September, and have since then discussed with the Israeli Ambassador and Israeli Minister for National Infrastructure.
	We are in regular contact with the Palestinian Authority and NGOs on the ground.

Guantanamo Bay

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the use of the British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia for the detention by the United States of terrorist suspects en route to Guantánamo Bay.

Bill Rammell: Further to the written answer given on 11 September by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell), allegations that terror suspects are being, or have at any time been, detained in Diego Garcia are entirely without foundation.

Arctic Convoy Medal

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the award of the Russian Arctic Convoy medal to UK nationals.

Bill Rammell: holding answer on 15 December 2003
	Government rules governing the acceptance of foreign awards by British Nationals preclude the acceptance of medals for services more than five years before consideration. In addition, the Defence of the Soviet Arctic Region Medal (DSARM) is a campaign medal and it was agreed at the end of the Second World War, by the then allied countries, not to exchange campaign medals. (The Atlantic Star is the British medal awarded for service in Atlantic Convoys.)
	However, officials have been examining the possibility of an exception to the present rules to permit veterans to accept the DSARM should the Russian Government formally seek the Government's authority to award the medal to British Citizens. A decision on whether an exception can be made is expected shortly.

Bribery/Corruption

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reports of possible cases of bribery or corruption abroad by UK (a) nationals and (b) companies have been referred to him by his Department's posts overseas since November 2001.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 28 October 2003, Official Report, column 181W.
	The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act was passed in November 2001 and entered into force in February 2002.

Burma

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international action he will propose to bring about democracy and human rights in Burma.

Mike O'Brien: A number of countries including Burma, France, Germany and ASEAN members met on 15 December in Bangkok at the invitation of the Thai Government. We understand that Burma objected to Britain attending because we were strongly critical of the regime. The aim of the meeting was to see if there was a realistic prospect of a roadmap toward democracy and reconciliation.
	We have regularly discussed Burma with our international partners, including what possible further measures we may take if the regime continues to thwart the democratic rights of the Burmese people. I hope to meet Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai on 18 December to discuss the 15 December meeting and how we can take matters forward. We will also continue to work with our EU partners through the UN, ILO and other international fora to put pressure on the Burmese regime to fully release Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy colleagues and, together with the ethnic groups, begin a genuine dialogue leading to democratic change and national reconciliation.

Ethiopia/Eritrea

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to help resolve the dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Chris Mullin: We take every opportunity to emphasise to both parties that the Boundary Commission's decision is final and binding; that both should avoid any return to war; and that dialogue is essential to address all the issues separating Ethiopia and Eritrea.

EU Constitution

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 245W, on the European Constitution, what assessment the Government have made of the impact of the territorial cohesion provisions in the draft EU Constitution Treaty on applications from peripheral and insular areas for regional European support and state aid; and what discussions his Department has held with local government representatives from Highland and Island councils on this subject.

Denis MacShane: We do not expect the references to "territorial cohesion" to have any impact on existing arrangements for the structural funds and regional aid. The devolved administrations have throughout been closely associated with the development of government policy towards the IGC, and are also involved in the development of UK positions on structural funds and state aid.

EU Constitution

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects discussions on the European Constitution to reach a conclusion.

Denis MacShane: In the light of the outcome of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference on 12–13 December, we expect discussions on the timetable of the negotiations to be taken forward by the future Irish presidency.

European Foreign Ministers (Combined Initiatives)

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is planning further combined initiatives with the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany.

Denis MacShane: We have worked closely with the French and Germans on an informal basis on a range of issues of mutual interest (e.g. joint initiative on industrial competitiveness, consultations on European defence, co-ordinated foreign policy towards Iran) and will continue to do so as the need arises.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has had any representations relating to the detention of Mr.Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and whether this matter has been discussed with the (a) Russian Government and (b) the Russian Embassy.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received one letter from a member of the House of Lords about the "Yukos affair", to which I have replied. Separately, I also discussed the issue with the Russian Ambassador last month, and the EU raised it with President Putin on 6 November during the recent EU-Russia summit.

Saudi Arabia

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will investigate claims of torture made against Saudi Arabia by the recently released British prisoner.

Chris Mullin: Throughout the detention of the British men in Saudi Arabia, we raised with the Saudi authorities, at the highest levels, our concerns about the case, including the men's treatment and conditions in detention. We are in touch with the men and their lawyers and are doing what we properly can to assist them.

Singapore

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Singapore regarding the trading by Singapore-based companies with the military leadership in Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: While we have not made any representations to the Government of Singapore on this issue. We regularly discuss the problems of Burma with Asian countries, including Singapore. The UK has a long standing policy of not supporting trade with Burma.
	This is well known to the international community. The EU Common Position is designed to target regime leaders and, as far as is possible, to avoid hurting the people of Burma. We would welcome a similar approach from Burma's neighbours.

United Nations

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on reforming UN structures; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK Government wish to see an efficient United Nations that can meet the challenges of the modern world and deliver the objectives established in the Millennium Declaration.
	We want to see a stronger and revitalised general assembly. We strongly support the proposals of the GA President, Julian Hunte. We support the Secretary General's efforts to create a more effective secretariat with improved priority setting and financial management. We are encouraging efforts towards improving the wider UN system of Funds, Programmes and Specialised Agencies. We also look forward to the outcome of the high level panel set up by the Secretary General to review the way the UN deals with threats to international peace and security.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to Command Paper CM5898, laid before the House in September, in which the UK's policy towards reform of the UN is described in more detail.

Visa Centres (India)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the new visa centres in India; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the new visa centres in India.

Chris Mullin: I have no plans at present to make a visit to the new visa application centres in India. Full details of the service offered at the visa application centres can be found at UKvisas' website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk and the websites for our diplomatic posts in India.

WALES

Compulsory Identity Cards

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for his Department.

Peter Hain: Since the Wales Office does not provide services directly to the public, the implications of such a scheme would be minimal.

IRA Terrorism

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on which dates terrorist incidents ascribed to the IRA have taken place in Wales since 1973.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Home Secretary on 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 618.

Ministerial Meetings

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how often he holds meetings with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales; what proportion of his working week is spent in the Wales Office; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The First Minister and I meet virtually every Monday and routinely discuss by telephone matters of common interest. I begin my week at my office in Cardiff, travelling up later in the day to the Wales Office in Gwydyr House London to meet ministerial colleagues and Wales Office officials and others as necessary over the rest of the week.

TREASURY

Employment Statistics

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people (a) under 50, (b) between 50 and state pension age and (c) over state pension age were in employment, broken down by (i) region and (ii) gender, for each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the employment rate was for people (a) under 50, (b) between 50 and state pension age and (c) over state pension age, broken down by (i) region and (ii) gender, for each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Ms Sandra Gidley dated 16 December 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about employment levels and rates.
	The tables which have been placed in the Library give the information requested for the twelve month period ending August of each year from 1998 to 2003. These estimates are from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling error.

Corporation Tax

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Exchequer was in tax receipts foregone of the 10 per cent. rate of corporation tax introduced in the 1999 Budget for the smallest companies, in each year since its introduction.

Dawn Primarolo: The 10 per cent. starting rate of corporation tax is estimated to have reduced the CT liability of small companies with accounting periods ending in 2000–01 and 2001–02 by £85 million and £140 million respectively. Estimates are not yet available of the impact of the starting rate on accounting periods ending in 2002–03.

Inland Revenue

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he estimates the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24 October will affect the welfare of tenants occupying the housing stock of Craven Housing Limited.

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 15 December 2003.

Inland Revenue

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if the Government will compensate Bury St. Edmunds for the loss of funds available to the Haverbury Housing Partnership following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24 October 2003;
	(2)  if the Government will compensate Letchworth for the loss of funds available to North Hertfordshire Homes Ltd. following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24 October 2003;
	(3)  if the Government will compensate Skipton for the loss of funds available to Craven Housing Ltd. following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24 October 2003;
	(4)  if the Government will compensate Hereford for the loss of funds available to Herefordshire Housing Ltd. that will result from the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24 October 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: On 24 October 2003, the Inland Revenue gave its preliminary view on the tax implications of contracts developed by a major accountancy firm. Discussions are continuing.

Pay-as-you-earn Schemes

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pay-as-you-earn schemes with one or two employees there were for companies, excluding unincorporated businesses, at April (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Pensions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Government of increasing pensions in line with average wage increases.

Ruth Kelly: The costs of uprating retirement pension in line with earnings and these costs as a percentage of GDP are as follows:
	
		
			  Gross Cost (£) Gross Cost as (percentage) 
		
		
			 2005–06 1.8 0.15 
			 2010–11 6.3 0.54 
			 2020–21 18.1 1.21 
			 2030–31 38.1 1.99 
		
	
	As my right hon. friend the Chancellor said in his pre-Budget statement, UK public finances are sustainable in the long term. The UK is in a strong position relative to other countries to face the challenges ahead. To revert to the pre-1980 position, an earnings link with pensions would—by 2050—raise deficits by 3 per cent. a year just to cover this one item with the long-term sustainability of public finances undermined. The Government will proceed on a sustainable basis.
	Notes
	1. Figures are in 2003–04 price terms. Costs are in billions rounded to the nearest £100 million. Percentages are to the nearest two decimal places.
	2. GDP figures are from HM Treasury Economic Assumptions provided 28 November 2003.
	3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2003 assumptions.
	4. The net costs take into account income related benefit offsets, which are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the organisations which responded to the consultation document, "Simplifying the taxation of pensions: increasing choice and flexibility for all".

Ruth Kelly: The Government consulted widely on the proposals in last December's document "Simplifying the taxation of pensions: increasing choice and flexibility for all". The document elicited many responses, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library. A summary of the responses can be found on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/pensionschemes.

Project ASPIRE

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date board members of Inland Revenue first began planning for project ASPIRE or its antecedents; and who was responsible for project ASPIRE from that date up to 5 September 2002.

Dawn Primarolo: The planning for the ASPIRE project began in January 2001. John Yard, the Inland Revenue's Director of Business Services, took responsibility for this planning.

Project ASPIRE

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the purpose was of the market making exercise run by Inland Revenue as part of Project ASPIRE; what objectives were set to judge its success; and whether these objectives were achieved.

Dawn Primarolo: Competitions are generally accepted as the best way to deliver value for money. The market-making exercise was designed to encourage the major IT industry players to enter the ASPIRE competition. This objective was achieved and the competition has been genuinely tough and fair. In a written statement to the House on 11 December 2003 (column 107WS) I announced that the result of the competition was that Cap Gemini Ernst and Young had been named as the Inland Revenue's preferred supplier for the ASPIRE contract replacing the incumbent suppliers EDS and Accenture.

Project ASPIRE

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the potential suppliers who engaged in the market making exercise in support of project ASPIRE were made aware by Inland Revenue at the outset of the exercise of the identities of the other potential suppliers; whether the methodology adopted by Inland Revenue for the market making exercise provided for discussions between Inland Revenue and each of the potential suppliers engaging in the market making exercise; and whether the potential suppliers who responded to the Official Journal of the European Communities Notice placed by Inland Revenue with regard to Project ASPIRE were required in their submissions to provide indicative pricing information.

Dawn Primarolo: I cannot comment on whether the potential suppliers who engaged in the market making exercise were aware of the identities of the other potential suppliers. However, there were ongoing discussions between the Department and potential suppliers, at their request, throughout the market-making exercise. In addition, as I stated in my reply of 18 September, an open meeting was held for all interested suppliers on 7 March 2002, which was attended by 42 potential suppliers. The potential suppliers were not required to provide indicative pricing information in their response to the Official Journal of the European Communities notice that was placed by the Inland Revenue.

Redundant Workers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundant workers, found employment three months after their Labour Force Survey interview in each of the last six years in London, broken down by age group.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 15 December 2003
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Simon Hughes, dated 16 December 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about unemployment in London boroughs. (143995)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following the internationally standard International Labour Organisation definition.
	Table 1 gives estimates of unemployment levels and rates for each London borough for the twelve month period ending February of each year from 1997 to 2002. These estimates are from the LFS annual local area databases. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling error. The LFS sample size is too small to give reliable estimates of youth unemployment and long term unemployment in nearly all of London boroughs.
	ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas. Table 2 gives, for each year since 1998, the average number and proportion of the working age population claiming JSA benefits. The number of these claiming for over 12 months and the numbers for those aged 18–24 years old are given in Tables 3 and 4. The data are not seasonally adjusted.
	
		Table 1: Unemployment in London boroughs -- March to February, thousand and percentage
		
			  1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 
			  Levels Rates (%) Levels Rates (%) Levels Rates (%) Levels Rate (%) 
		
		
			 Greater London 394 11.1 326 9.1 283 7.9 269 7.3 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 10 12.9 7 9.6 7 10.2 (2)— (2)— 
			 Barnet 13 8.0 11 6.6 10 5.4 10 5.6 
			 Bexley 11 8.9 6 5.4 8 7.0 8 7.3 
			 Brent 16 13.1 16 12.6 15 11.2 10 7.5 
			 Bromley 9 5.8 7 4.5 8 5.5 6 3.8 
			 Camden 12 12.4 (2)— (2)— 7 7.9 6 6.5 
			 City of London (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Croydon 14 8.0 11 6.1 10 5.8 12 6.8 
			 Ealing 15 10.4 14 9.5 9 6.4 11 7.7 
			 Enfield 11 8.3 7 4.9 10 7.2 10 7.5 
			 Greenwich 16 16.2 13 13.4 11 10.6 8 7.4 
			 Hackney 18 23.1 18 21.5 12 14.8 13 13.8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 7 8.6 8 9.1 (2)— (2)— 7 8.5 
			 Haringey 14 13.6 14 13.6 12 12.2 11 9.8 
			 Harrow 7 6.9 6 5.7 6 5.3 7 6.0 
			 Havering 7 6.6 6 5.2 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hillingdon 8 5.9 7 5.1 (2)— (2)— 8 5.4 
			 Hounslow 13 13.0 7 6.7 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Islington 14 17.0 12 14.0 10 12.0 11 11.8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8 10.2 (2)— (2)— 9 10.2 9 10.3 
			 Kingston upon Thames (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Lambeth 30 19.3 21 14.8 11 7.6 13 9.1 
			 Lewisham 21 16.3 14 11.6 10 8.3 13 10.7 
			 Merton 6 6.7 6 6.6 7 7.1 (2)— (2)— 
			 Newham 17 17.9 15 15.3 17 16.7 14 14.3 
			 Redbridge 9 7.7 12 10.5 10 8.6 6 5.0 
			 Richmond upon Thames (2)— (2)— 6 6.5 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Southwark 23 21.7 19 16.8 15 13.4 15 12.2 
			 Sutton 6 6.5 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Tower Hamlets 11 15.8 13 19.7 9 13.8 8 9.4 
			 Waltham Forest 12 11.1 11 10.6 9 9.3 8 7.7 
			 Wandsworth 16 10.6 10 7.2 7 5.0 7 4.8 
			 Westminster 10 10.5 10 9.7 11 10.9 8 7.0 
		
	
	
		
			   2000–01  2001–02 
			  Levels Rates (%) Levels Rates (%) 
		
		
			 Greater London 254 6.9 248 6.6 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 4 5.9 4 6.4 
			 Barnet 11 5.9 9 4.9 
			 Bexley (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Brent 11 9.2 12 9.4 
			 Bromley 6 3.7 6 3.9 
			 Camden 6 6.4 9 8.2 
			 City of London (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Croydon 10 5.3 10 5.7 
			 Ealing 11 7.3 10 6.3 
			 Enfield 7 5.5 8 6.4 
			 Greenwich 11 9.8 8 7.4 
			 Hackney 14 16.4 11 12.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham (2)— (2)— 6 6.4 
			 Haringey 13 12.7 11 10.4 
			 Harrow 6 5.0 (2)— (2)— 
			 Havering (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hillingdon (2)— (2)— 6 4.1 
			 Hounslow (2)— (2)— 6 5.6 
			 Islington 8 9.4 8 9.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8 7.5 7 6.1 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4 4.4 4 4.8 
			 Lambeth 14 9.6 10 7.0 
			 Lewisham 9 6.9 12 10.3 
			 Merton 6 6.1 (2)— (2)— 
			 Newham 12 13.5 11 11.7 
			 Redbridge 8 7.4 8 6.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Southwark 13 12.1 12 10.7 
			 Sutton (2)— (2)— 5 5.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 9 11.8 9 12.3 
			 Waltham Forest 6 5.7 7 6.9 
			 Wandsworth 9 5.7 10 6.3 
			 Westminster 10 8.6 8 6.1 
		
	
	(1) Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population.
	(2) Sample size too small for reliable estimate.
	Note:
	These Labour Force Survey estimates have not been interim-adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census results.
	Source:
	ONS Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey.
	
		Table 2: JSA Claimants in the London boroughs—not seasonally adjusted
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 
			 Annual average Levels % of Pop(4) Levels % of Pop(4) Levels % of Pop(4) Levels % of Pop(4) 
		
		
			 Greater London 224,303 5.0 (4)— 4.4 173,445 3.8 153,666 3.2 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,791 4.0 3,485 3.6 3,156 3.2 2,873 2.9 
			 Barnet 6,407 3.4 5,725 3.0 4,822 2.5 4,594 2.3 
			 Bexley 4,073 3.1 3,455 2.6 2,859 2.1 2,453 1.8 
			 Brent 10,352 6.2 9,015 5.4 7,614 4.4 6,798 3.7 
			 Bromley 4,828 2.7 4,156 2.3 3,579 2.0 3,223 1.8 
			 Camden 8,281 6.6 7,630 6.0 6,444 4.8 5,542 3.8 
			 City of London 98 2.2 91 1.9 81 1.6 82 1.4 
			 Croydon 8,247 4.0 7,483 3.6 6,473 3.1 5,972 2.8 
			 Baling 7,679 4.0 6,927 3.5 5,801 2.9 5,262 2.5 
			 Enfield 7,542 4.5 7,021 4.2 6,137 3.6 5,488 3.1 
			 Greenwich 8,681 6.7 7,785 6.0 6,636 5.0 5,873 4.2 
			 Hackney 12,995 10.7 11,288 9.0 9,367 7.2 7,717 5.6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,285 5.9 5,480 4.9 4,688 4.1 4,225 3.5 
			 Haringey 12,228 8.7 11,082 7.7 9,571 6.6 7,613 5.0 
			 Harrow 3,580 2.8 3,318 2.6 2,771 2.1 2,395 1.8 
			 Havering 3,414 2.5 3,313 2.4 2,819 2.1 2,308 1.7 
			 Hillingdon 3,530 2.3 3,058 2.0 2,513 1.6 2,369 1.5 
			 Hounslow 4,157 3.0 3,411 2.5 2,555 1.8 2,169 1.5 
			 Islington 9,925 8.4 8,944 7.5 7,440 6.2 6,409 5.1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,377 4.6 3,805 3.9 3,290 3.2 2,827 2.5 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,904 2.1 1,641 1.7 1,359 1.4 1,180 1.2 
			 Lambeth 13,790 7.8 12,456 6.9 11,230 6.1 10,239 5.3 
			 Lewisham 11,052 7.0 9,882 6.1 8,557 5.2 7,901 4.6 
			 Merton 3,604 3.1 3,183 2.7 2,522 2.1 2,360 1.9 
			 Newham 10,885 7.7 9,958 6.9 8,715 5.8 7,367 4.6 
			 Redbridge 5,377 3.6 4,881 3.3 4,336 2.9 3,725 2.4 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 2,264 2.1 2,036 1.8 1,572 1.4 1,432 1.2 
			 Southwark 11,680 7.6 10,711 6.8 9,779 6.0 8,792 5.1 
			 Sutton 2,382 2.2 2,128 1.9 1,653 1.5 1,500 1.3 
			 Tower Hamlets 9,411 7.9 9,049 7.3 8,616 6.8 7,949 5.9 
			 Waltham Forest 7,692 5.5 7,039 5.0 6,091 4.3 5,489 . 3.8 
			 Wandsworth 7,862 4.4 6,494 3.6 5,510 3.0 5,182 2.7 
			 Westminster, City of 5,930 5.1 5,739 4.8 4,889 3.9 4,358 3.2 
		
	
	
		
			   2002  2003(3) 
			 Annual average Levels % of Pop(4) Levels % of Pop(4) 
		
		
			 Greater London 164,350 3.4 170,532 3.5 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,983 3.0 3,328 3.3 
			 Barnet 5,290 2.6 5,769 2.8 
			 Bexley 2,629 2.0 2,866 2.2 
			 Brent 7,959 4.4 8,234 4.5 
			 Bromley 3,597 2.0 3,842 2.1 
			 Camden 5,956 4.1 5,909 4.1 
			 City of London 93 1.7 100 1.8 
			 Croydon 6,334 3.0 6,497 3.0 
			 Baling 6,137 3.0 6,222 3.0 
			 Enfield 5,441 3.1 5,847 3.3 
			 Greenwich 5,955 4.3 5,934 4.3 
			 Hackney 7,682 5.6 8,123 5.9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,481 3.7 4,695 3.8 
			 Haringey 7,603 5.0 7,722 5.1 
			 Harrow 2,841 2.1 3,025 2.3 
			 Havering 2,331 1.7 2,546 1.9 
			 Hillingdon 2,961 1.9 3,530 2.3 
			 Hounslow 2,908 2.0 3,298 2.3 
			 Islington 6,343 5.0 6,398 5.1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,957 2.6 3,096 2.7 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,548 1.6 1,711 1.7 
			 Lambeth 10,707 5.5 10,835 5.6 
			 Lewisham 8,056 4.7 8,079 4.7 
			 Merton 2,749 2.2 3,035 2.4 
			 Newham 7,610 4.7 7,655 4.8 
			 Redbridge 4,047 2.6 4,106 2.7 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1,803 1.6 2,013 1.7 
			 Southwark 9,363 5.5 9,689 5.6 
			 Sutton 1,800 1.6 1,975 1.7 
			 Tower Hamlets 8,136 6.0 8,335 6.2 
			 Waltham Forest 5,857 4.0 6,035 4.1 
			 Wandsworth 5,686 2.9 5,692 2.9 
			 Westminster, City of 4,507 3.3 4,391 3.2 
		
	
	(3) Average of 10 months.
	(4) Claimant count figures as a proportion of the resident working age population.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.
	
		Table 3: JSA Claimants over 12 months in the London boroughs not seasonally adjusted—Computerised claims only
		
			  Levels 
			 Annual average 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(5) 
		
		
			 Greater London 72,593 61,881 47,957 36,327 32,193 32,848 
			 Barking and Dagenham 833 864 806 628 467 507 
			 Barnet 1,963 1,585 1,081 886 923 986 
			 Bexley 1,208 856 611 443 356 374 
			 Brent 3,640 2,842 2,233 1,604 1,788 2,046 
			 Bromley 1,383 1,120 912 714 615 558 
			 Camden 3,016 2,727 1,962 1,486 1,373 1,342 
			 City of London 27 28 26 24 22 28 
			 Croydon 2,945 2,249 1,850 1,479 1,352 1,111 
			 Baling 2,271 1,772 1,235 891 925 982 
			 Enfield 2,642 2,286 1,738 1,329 984 885 
			 Greenwich 3,218 2,539 1,930 1,435 1,172 1,027 
			 Hackney 4,483 3,888 2,462 1,753 1,339 1,491 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,466 1,940 1,492 1,067 940 996 
			 Haringey 4,708 4,185 3,048 1,807 1,670 1,864 
			 Harrow 988 864 657 455 414 464 
			 Havering 670 801 704 481 318 307 
			 Hillingdon 897 658 433 255 259 400 
			 Hounslow 917 610 309 152 196 247 
			 Islington 3,971 3,449 2,447 1,954 1,512 1,355 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,682 1,355 1,044 761 667 701 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 474 369 253 171 193 292 
			 Lambeth 4,797 3,905 3,525 2,864 2,548 2,361 
			 Lewisham 4,322 3,532 2,703 2,261 1,910 1,703 
			 Merton 1,055 779 506 403 401 474 
			 Newham 2,657 2,814 2,292 1,611 1,354 1,366 
			 Redbridge 1,260 1,168 1,085 886 581 534 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 637 522 346 207 207 292 
			 Southwark 3,985 3,515 3,034 2,414 2,363 2,692 
			 Sutton 613 465 328 241 284 377 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,388 2,532 2,326 2,041 1,809 1,935 
			 Waltham Forest 1,970 1,912 1,662 1,256 1,108 1,144 
			 Wandsworth 2,503 1,821 1,390 1,173 1,134 1,103 
			 Westminster, City of 2,004 1,929 1,527 1,195 1,009 904 
		
	
	(5) Average of 10 months.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.
	
		Table 4: JSA Claimants for the age group 18–24 years old in the London boroughs not seasonally adjusted—Computerised claims only
		
			  Levels 
			 Annual average 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(6) 
		
		
			 Greater London 46,706 38,567 33,207 30,444 35,432 39,206 
			
			 Barking and Dagenham 997 840 796 725 794 928 
			 Barnet 1,173 977 842 841 1,057 1,253 
			 Bexley 935 745 617 538 604 691 
			 Brent 2,120 1,691 1,394 1,217 1,619 1,726 
			 Bromley 924 710 621 611 702 786 
			 Camden 1,424 1,223 1,024 903 1,072 1,163 
			 City of London 29 21 17 18 24 24 
			 Croydon 1,665 1,452 1,244 1,215 1,369 1,527 
			 Eating 1,594 1,388 1,133 1,015 1,265 1,344 
			 Enfield 1,589 1,331 1,209 1,066 1,230 1,516 
			 Greenwich 2,169 1,780 1,510 1,402 1,513 1,601 
			 Hackney 2,861 2,261 1,846 1,558 1,741 1,900 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,050 855 760 697 816 936 
			 Haringey 2,430 1,993 1,742 1,548 1,722 1,819 
			 Harrow 707 624 509 457 583 668 
			 Havering 854 731 610 524 559 647 
			 Hillingdon 791 661 561 569 731 922 
			 Hounslow 977 765 606 511 685 840 
			 Islington 1,913 1,600 1,296 1,133 1,241 1,406 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 642 534 477 427 502 538 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 331 281 222 189 245 301 
			 Lambeth 2,535 2,141 1,946 1,812 2,084 2,248 
			 Lewisham 2,282 1,993 1,741 1,738 1,907 2,048 
			 Merton 712 595 484 486 572 670 
			 Newham 2,885 2,311 2,014 1,770 1,979 2,225 
			 Redbridge 1,264 1,035 880 784 977 1,041 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 319 268 217 194 241 292 
			 Southwark 2,478 2,051 1,885 1,779 2,081 2,204 
			 Sutton 459 385 289 270 336 406 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,393 1,958 1,825 1,723 1,934 2,030 
			 Waltham Forest 1,770 1,412 1,173 1,128 1,332 1,460 
			 Wandsworth 1,428 1,073 951 924 1,113 1,182 
			 Westminster, City of 1,006 882 766 672 802 864 
		
	
	(6) Average of 10 months.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.

Tax Compliance

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Inland Revenue and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise inform other Government Departments when a potential supplier has poor compliance in tax affairs.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue only inform other Government Departments when a potential supplier has poor compliance in tax affairs in very exceptional circumstances. Such disclosures will only be made where statute permits, or otherwise, is justifiable on public interest grounds and will be confined to a general description of the potential supplier's compliance status and will not contain any detail.

Tax Rates

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken to ensure that high income earners pay the 40 per cent. income tax rate and not the standard one on the basis that a company is being run by them; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made in this House on 10 December 2003 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and to paragraph 5.91 of the Pre-Budget Report published the same day.

Tax Rates

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals in the last three tax years were informed by the Inland Revenue that, though claiming to be eligible to pay the standard income tax rate because of running a company, the amount they would have to pay was 40 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: None. There is no direct correlation between the amount of income tax an individual would pay on profits if self employed and the amount of income tax payable on salary and dividends received from a limited company.

Unemployment (London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of (a) unemployment, (b) long-term unemployment and (c) youth unemployment in each borough of London was in each of the last six years; and how many individuals this represented in each case.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 15 December 2003
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Simon Hughes, dated 16 December 2003
	As the National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about redundant workers. (144171)
	The attached table gives estimates, from the Labour Force Survey, of the number of people resident in London who were made redundant in the three months prior to their LFS interview, and who were in employment again at the time of interview. These estimates are for the twelve month period ending August each year from 1998 to 2003. The LFS does not collect information about respondents' labour market status three months after their interview. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling error.
	
		People resident in Greater London who were made redundant in the three months prior to their LFS interview and who were in employment again at the time of interview, by age -- Thousands
		
			 September to August Total 16–34 35 or over 
		
		
			 1997–98 29 14 15 
			 1998–99 28 12 16 
			 1999–2000 30 19 12 
			 2000–01 34 19 14 
			 2001–02 34 20 14 
			 2002–3 23 14 — 
		
	
	— Sample size too small for reliable estimate
	Note:
	These LFS estimates have not been interim-adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census results
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Departmental Staff

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many days were lost to illness by employees in her Department in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many days' sick leave per staff year were recorded in her Department in each of the last five years.

Patricia Hewitt: The following table sets out the number of days lost due to sick absence in DTI HQ and the Small Business Service between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 2003.
	
		
			   Headcount FTE 
			 Population: Sick absence Staff-in-post Average sick absence Staff-in-post Average sick absence(7) 
		
		
			 DTI HQ including SBS  
			 Year ending March 2003 37,107 5,412 6.9 5,254.54 7.1 
			 Year ending March 2002 35,870 5,263 6.8 5,122.70 7.0 
			 Year ending March 2001 32,920 4,998 6.6 4,867.03 6.8 
			 Year ending 31 March 2000 32,717 4,934 6.6 4,820.63 6.8 
			 Year ending 31 March 1999 34,715 4,892 7.1 4,788.22 7.3 
		
	
	(7) Full time equivalent

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter of 15 October from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent, Mr. A. Downie of Whitehills.

Mike O'Brien: The delay in replying to the letter has been caused by the need for several Government departments and agencies to be consulted on preparing a response. I hope to be able to reply shortly.

Electricity Supplies

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans are in place to ensure that electricity supplies to homes and industry are maintained in the event of severe winter weather.

Stephen Timms: The market has responded to concerns about a possible shortfall by returning plant to service so that margins are at a similar level to the mid 1990s. However no system can be guaranteed and in the event of a possible power shortage there are a number of steps that NGT could take in order to maintain supplies and avoid rota cuts.
	The Government has robust, and well rehearsed plans, for dealing with extreme circumstances that cannot be dealt with by NGT's normal operating arrangements.

Employment Regulations

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the impact that the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 will have on businesses, with particular reference to the costs they will incur; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact that the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 will have on businesses, with particular reference to the costs they will incur; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have set out the impact on business of the Employment Equality (sexual orientation or religion or belief regulations) regulations 2003 as part of the last consultation on our proposals in the document "Equality and Diversity: the way ahead". In the case of sexual orientation, quantifiable benefits outweigh the costs significantly throughout the period analysed. For religion or belief, the initial costs are outweighed by the future benefits. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Libraries of the House and are also available online at
	dti.gsi.gov.uk/er/equality.

Equal Treatment at Work Directive

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  which religions are to be protected under the Equal Treatment at Work Directive;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on which philosophical beliefs are to be protected by the Equal Treatment at Work Directive; and what guidance her Department has offered to companies on how to make an assessment of this.

Jacqui Smith: This aspect of the Employment Directive is implemented by the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003. The regulations define "religion or belief" as "any religion, religious belief, or similar philosophical belief". It will be for the courts and tribunals to determine, in accordance with the Directive's requirements, whether a religion or belief falls within this definition. However, guidance to help employers put the new legislation into effect is available from Acas, and on the website acas.org.uk. In addition the Acas national helpline (08457 47 47 47) is able to offer advice on employment related issues.
	The reference to "religion" includes religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Rastafarianism, Baha'is, Zoroastrians and Jains. Branches or sects within a religion can be considered as a religion or religious belief, such as Catholics or Protestants within the Christian church.
	The reference to "similar philosophical belief" includes philosophical belief which is similar to a religious belief in that it is a profound belief affecting a person's way of life, or perception of the world. The belief should occupy a place in the person's life parallel to that filled by the God or Gods of those holding a particular religious belief.

EU Funding (Yorkshire and Humber)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much EU regional funding has gone into the Yorkshire and Humber region in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		Table of Expenditure in Yorkshire and the Humber
		
			 ERDF and ESF Spend by Year £ million 
		
		
			 1998 54.817 
			 1999 92.188 
			 2000 94.294 
			 2001 135.953 
			 2002 96.095 
			 2003 116.665

Fusion Research Reactor

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the decision to site the next International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor fusion research reactor at Cadarache in France; and what financial commitment has been made by the United Kingdom in its support.

Patricia Hewitt: I am pleased that it was possible to reach a unanimous decision on the European candidate site for ITER. The UK will not make a direct financial commitment to ITER; instead its financial participation will come from the EURATOM budget, which the UK contributes to through its annual payment into the EC budget.

Give as You Earn Scheme

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of staff in her Department contribute to a charity through the Give as You Earn scheme; how much money is donated to charity per month by staff in her Department through the scheme; and what steps she is taking to encourage greater participation in the scheme by staff in her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: In my Department 404 staff, 4.43 per cent. of the workforce, contribute £7,390.17 per month to charity through the Give As You Earn scheme. We regularly encourage greater participation by publicising the scheme to staff. We are planning the next awareness campaign for the new year.

Learning and Skills Councils

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 168W, on Learning and Skills Councils, if she will discuss with the Deputy Prime Minister contacts which have taken place between officials of her Office and the North West Regional Development Agency concerning that RDA's aspirations to assume control of the responsibilities and funding of Learning and Skills Councils in that region.

Jacqui Smith: The North West Development Agency has assured the Learning and Skills Council that it is not looking to usurp its role, and my answer of 4 December makes the Government's position clear. The Deputy Prime Minister is aware of the situation.

Manufacturing Employment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by how much employment in manufacturing has changed in each of the last six years; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The following table shows changes in manufacturing employment in each of the last six years.
	
		Manufacturing employee jobs (1997 to 2003)
		
			 June Employee jobs (000s) Change on the previous year (per cent.) 
		
		
			 1997 4,191 1.3 
			 1998 4,209 0.4 
			 1999 4,060 -3.5 
			 2000 3,960 -2.5 
			 2001 3,808 -3.8 
			 2002 3,628 -4.7 
			 2003 3,502 -3.5 
		
	
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics, Department of Trade and Industry
	A trend of declining manufacturing employment has been a feature of advanced economies over the last 30 years. Overall the UK labour market is performing well, with total employment rising by nearly 1.7 million since Spring 1997, and unemployment falling in every region.
	We published the Government's Manufacturing Strategy in May 2002—the first such strategy for 30 years—which we developed in partnership with industry, trade unions and other stakeholders, following a summit meeting on the challenges facing manufacturing held in December 2001. The Manufacturing Strategy aims to create a high value manufacturing sector in the UK with a highly skilled well paid workforce, moving away from competing on the basis of low skill and low wages.

Internet/E-mail Traffic

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government announcement that it is lawful, under EU Single Market regulations, for private sector internet and e-mail traffic to use public sector-installed IT infrastructure covered the use of wide band IT infrastructure installed in schools and libraries.

Stephen Timms: I am not certain which announcement the hon. Member is referring to. If he cares to write to me I will respond as soon as possible.

North West Regional Development Agency

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the per capita expenditure by the North West Regional Development Agency was in each of its five sub-regions in each year since its inception.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 11 December 2003
	The North West Development Agency does not allocate its funding by sub-region or on a per capita basis. Funding levels for the last three financial years were:
	
		£ million
		
			 Financial Year Allocation 
		
		
			 2003–04 345 
			 2002–03 306 
			 2001–02 292

Nuclear Power

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons (a) THORP and (b) the Sellafield MOX plutonium fuels plant were excluded from consideration in the strategy review of BNFL on which she made her announcement on 11 December.

Stephen Timms: The 2001 Government White Paper "Managing the Nuclear Legacy—a strategy for action" stated that THORP and the Sellafield MOX plant at Sellafield would pass to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority when it is established in April 2005. For this reason it was not appropriate for them to be considered as part of the review.

Post Office Closures

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition of deprivation is used for the half-mile rule applied to post office closures.

Stephen Timms: There is no such rule but, in England, post office branches in the 20 per cent. most deprived wards (as defined by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2000) and more than half a mile from the nearest alternative post office are, other than in exceptional circumstances, ring fenced from inclusion in closure proposals under the Urban Reinvention programme. In Scotland and Wales the relevant national indices are used.

Post Office Closures

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in each constituency have remained open because of the half-mile rule.

Stephen Timms: There is no such rule, but, in deprived urban areas, post office branches which are more than half a mile from the nearest alternative post office are, except in exceptional circumstances, ring fenced from inclusion in closure proposals under the Urban Reinvention programme. Final decisions on any such closure proposals, after consideration of representations received during public consultation, are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.

Post Office Closures

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices notified for closure under the Network Intervention Programme have (a) closed and (b) remained open after public consultation procedures, by constituency, in the last year.

Stephen Timms: Decisions on post office closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme following public consultation are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Office Closures

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) consultations on post office closures have taken place as part of the urban reinvention programme and (b) post offices have remained open following such consultation in each region in the United Kingdom.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 9 December 2003
	Decisions on post office closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme following public consultation are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Postwatch

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding is made available to Postwatch from (a) Royal Mail and (b) her Department.

Stephen Timms: The Consumer Council of Postal Services (CCPS), also known as Postwatch is funded through grant in aid from the Department of Trade and Industry. A three-year budget envelope is agreed between Postwatch and the Department. The cost is recovered by the Exchequer from the licence fees paid by operators of postal services. Details of the Postwatch budget are set out in its Forward Work Programme; the 2004–05 Programme will be published shortly.

Renewable Energy (Greater London)

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on renewable energy projects in Greater London in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The Government are supporting a number of projects in London under photovoltaic (PV) domestic and large-scale field trials, the Major PV Demonstration Programme, and the Clear Skies scheme.
	The Greater London Authority is leading the London partnership taking forward renewables planning facilitation and awareness raising work in London. DTI has allocated £233,000 funding for this work, total funding from all partners is £401,000, and spend so far is in the region of £85,000. The first phase of this work includes research into public and stakeholder attitudes. The GLA plans to publish a report on work so far, including proposals for encouraging renewable energy in London and ways of overcoming barriers, on 16 December.
	The London partnership will take forward these recommendations in the next phase of its work, which will include a stakeholder consultation on a renewable energy target for London. This will inform the Mayor's energy strategy due to be published next year.
	The Department does not gather information about investment by private companies in renewable energy projects.

Royal Mail

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much revenue has been lost by the Royal Mail Group Ltd. as a result of industrial action in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The amount of revenue lost by Royal Mail as a result of industrial action is an operational matter that falls within the day-to-day responsibility of the Royal Mail Board. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Sex Discrimination (Private Clubs)

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what policies she has towards sex discrimination against women in private clubs; what plans she has to change the law; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: There can be no justification for treating women club members as second-class citizens. Sex discrimination in private clubs is contrary to this Government's principles of opportunity for all and we have supported attempts to legislate in this area in the past.
	I cannot give any assurances about our future legislative plans, but we are keeping the matter of sex discrimination and private clubs under review.

Trading Standards

Clive Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a local authority trading standards officer is permitted to inform members of the public that a complaint has been made against a company.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It would be for the individual Local Authority to decide whether they wish to pursue a policy of informing members of the public of businesses that have been the subject of a complaint.
	Any such policy would be subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 regarding the disclosure of personal information in relation to individuals.

US Steel Tariffs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action has been taken by her Department to prepare the UK steel industry for the lifting of US steel tariffs.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department is in regular contact with the UK steel industry and its stakeholders, on this and other issues. We have used these contacts to keep them informed of developments in the EU's WTO case against the US.

US Steel Tariffs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's estimate is of the cost to the UK steel industry of the United States' tariffs on imported steel.

Patricia Hewitt: UK steel exports to the US fell by 14 per cent. in 2002 compared with the figure for 2001. The negative consequences of the US decision for the UK steel industry were reduced by our success in securing exclusions for UK products from the US safeguard measure. At the point when the safeguard was lifted, 74 per cent. of UK steel exports to the US were free of safeguard tariffs. The Government also supported the EU steel safeguard, which prevented any surge into the EU of steel from third countries diverted from the US market.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Places of Worship

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list beneficiaries of the listed places of worship grant scheme.

Richard Caborn: To date, 3,953 listed places of worship throughout the United Kingdom have received grant payments under the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. A list of all recipients of payments could be produced only at disproportionate cost. This scheme returns in grant aid the difference between the amount of Value Added Tax paid on eligible repairs and maintenance and a lower 5 per cent. rate. Listed places of worship of all religions are eligible to claim under the scheme.

Pleasure Piers

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department takes to encourage non-departmental public bodies to take into account principles of sustainable development in allocating funding for pleasure piers; what guidance has been issued; and what reference it contains to timber.

Estelle Morris: Applications to allocate funding for pleasure piers would not be addressed to my Department directly. Should the application be addressed to one of the 15 bodies which distribute lottery funding, the policy directions DCMS issue to Lottery Distributors ask them to take into account 'the need to further the objective of sustainable development'. Guidance to non-departmental public bodies forms part of DCMS's sustainable development strategy, which will be published in January. The strategy also contains a specific reference to our commitment that all timber used in construction and repair work should come from fully certified sources.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Horse Transportation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with other EU Ministers about the international transportation of horses; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The international transportation of horses is being considered as a part of the European Commission's proposal to update and improve the current EU rules on the welfare of animals during transport. This review has the potential to improve significantly the way many horses are transported into and within the EU. We are also taking the opportunity of this review to consider the best way to protect British equines. This is a matter that we will raise with other EU Ministers in the course of normal business and in particular when the proposals are presented to the Agriculture Council.

Horse Transportation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the organisations which she has consulted about the welfare of horses during transport.

Alun Michael: We consulted 50 animal welfare and trade organisations, and almost 800 transporters who hold specific authorisations to transport animals, on the European Commission's proposals to update and replace the current directive on the welfare of animals during transport. In addition, further discussions, on horse transport and related issues, are taking place with the British Horse Industry Confederation and representatives of the British Horse Society, the International League for the Protection of Horses, the National Equine Welfare Council, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Art Acquisition

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by her Department since 1997 was; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by her Department through sales of its works of art has been since 1997.

Alun Michael: No works of art have been purchased by Defra (or MAFF) since 1997.
	No works of art have been sold by Defra (or MAFF) since 1997.

Badgers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether perturbation in badger populations can be eliminated or substantially reduced by improved badger culling programme design and execution.

Ben Bradshaw: No such assessment has been made.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what proportion of TB lesions found in cows subject to post-mortem examination for TB were considered to be of a type which would have rendered the cattle in which they were found capable of transmitting bovine TB to another bovine animal in England in the past 10 years;
	(2)  where the main TB lesions have been found on those cows which have been subject to post-mortem examinations for TB by or on behalf of her Department, in England in the past 10 years;
	(3)  what inferences have been drawn from the sites of TB lesions found on those cows which have been subject to post-mortem examination for TB by or on behalf of her Department, in England, in the past 10 years, as to the routes of transmission.

Ben Bradshaw: The vast majority of lesions found in reactors to the TB skin test and in cases disclosed in the slaughterhouse are found in the lymph nodes of the throat and lungs (i.e. retropharyngeal, bronchial and mediastinal nodes).
	Any bovine animals infected with the causative agent for bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) becomes potentially infectious for other animals after a period of latency. By the time shedding begins, the animal may or may not have developed visible lesions.
	The routes of transmission in field conditions are not fully understood but the distribution of the lesions strongly suggest that the respiratory and oro-pharyngeal routes are the most common.
	Reactors to the tuberculin test and confirmed slaughterhouse cases are considered to be infected and infectious. The testing regime applied to the remainder of the herd after removal of the reactors takes account of this.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the implications are for the UK beef and dairy industries should the UK lose its Organisation International des Epizooties TB-free status.

Ben Bradshaw: The United Kingdom does not satisfy the requirements of the OIE or EU to be regarded as TB-free.
	Article 2.3.3.11. of the OIE Terrestrial Code states that international trade in beef requires the:
	"presentation of an international veterinary certificate attesting that the entire consignment of meat comes from animals which have been subjected to ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections for bovine tuberculosis with favourable results".
	Thus, beef can be traded provided the Meat Hygiene Service has passed the meat as fit for human consumption.
	In the case of dairy products, the OIE does not provide recommendations for the international trade in milk to protect against TB.

Departmental Costs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) running costs of and (b) number of staff in the Department and its predecessors were in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2002.

Alun Michael: The information requested can be found in the annual Departmental Reports. In particular, Annex 7 of the 2000 MAFF Report for 1997 running cost statistics (CM 4612), Table 6 of the 2003 Defra Report (CM 5919) for staff numbers in both years, and Table 5 of the 2003 Defra Report for administrative costs in 2002. Copies of these Reports are in the Library of the House.

Employment

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK nationals were employed in (a) horticulture and (b) fruit farming in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 December 2003
	The following figures show the total labour force on holdings in England where horticulture is the predominant activity (this includes specialist horticulture, specialist glass and specialist fruit). The June Agricultural Census does not record nationality, only number of people working on holdings.
	
		Total labour force
		
			  (a) Total labour force on horticulture holdings (excludes specialist fruit) (b) Total labour force on specialist fruit holdings 
		
		
			 1997 35,237 8,084 
			 1998 36,826 8,528 
			 1999 38,262 7,740 
			 2000 35,463 8,639 
			 2001 35,993 9,120 
			 2002 34,605 8,988 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.
	2. Figures prior to 2000 show main holdings only. From 2000 onwards all holdings are included.
	3. Due to a register improvement exercise in 2001 labour figures prior to this are not directly comparable with later results.
	Source
	June Agricultural Census

Farmed Cod

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much food, by weight, is required to produce one kilo of marketable farmed cod; how much raw marine resource, by weight, is required to make one kilo of food; where that food is sourced from; and what the content of that food is.

Ben Bradshaw: This Department does not collect data on feed usage and composition from the limited number of enterprises engaged in cod farming in the UK. However, we estimate that between 1.2kg and 1.4kg of feed is needed to produce 1kg of farmed cod of a marketable size.
	We do not have information on the weight of the raw marine resource used in feed for farmed cod. The quantity involved will vary depending on the proportion of fishmeal used in the different grades of dry fish feed produced for cod at various stages of growth. Cod, like other farmed piscivorous species are unlikely to consume more natural marine resources through feed than their wild counterparts would consume in the natural environment.
	The fish used for aquaculture feed are generally small, bony pelagic species sourced from non food grade fisheries, usually off the coasts of Peru and Chile, and in the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea.
	We understand that feed for farmed cod includes protein and oils derived from marine sources, carbohydrate, starch, minerals and vitamins.

Fisheries

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether active acoustic deterrents will be made compulsory in all static net fisheries; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK Small Cetacean Bycatch Strategy published in March 2003 recommended that it should be a legal requirement for pingers to be used in specific set net fisheries in the North Sea and the Channel to reduce bycatch of harbour porpoises. I will be making an announcement early in the New Year on the results of consultation on the UK strategy following discussion with the Devolved Administrations.
	Since the publication of this strategy, the European Commission has produced proposals for the reduction of cetacean bycatch in EU waters. These proposals include the mandatory use of pingers in set net fisheries in the North Sea and the Channel. Discussions on this regulation are still at an early stage.

Fisheries

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will undertake to assist fishing businesses with the costs of purchasing and maintaining compulsory active acoustic deterrents on their gear; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK Small Cetacean Bycatch Strategy published in March 2003 referred to funding available under the EU FIFO structural programme to encourage fishermen to adopt more selective fishing methods. This could provide part of the costs required to alter fishing practices to reduce cetacean bycatch, such as the purchase of active acoustic deterrents. I will be making an announcement early in the New Year on the results of consultation on the UK strategy following discussion with the Devolved Administrations.

Hired Fishermen

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation payments have been made to hired fishermen since the Fisheries Council in December 2002.

Ben Bradshaw: Neither this Department nor the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department have made any payments to hired fishermen since last December's Council.

Integrated Administration and Control System

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what penalties apply to farmers who supply incorrect details on their application forms for the Integrated Administration and Control System.

Alun Michael: Penalties apply to farmers who have claimed a greater area or a larger number of animals than that determined. These penalties are graduated in severity depending on the level of discrepancy found. If the discrepancy is severe, this may lead to a loss of entitlement to aid for the current scheme year and once again in the following three years.

Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd.

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the public objectives of Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd. as reported to the South West Regional Development Agency.

Alun Michael: The South West Regional Development Agency tell us they have not received any formal public objections to the support for Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd. However, the Government Office for the South West has received representations from a number of shareholders in Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd. that the organisation should not at present be considered for further public support. Copies of these also have been passed to the South West Regional Development Agency, Business Links for Berkshire and Wiltshire and to Defra.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether UK companies met the Government's targets for the purchase of renewable energy in 2002.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Under the terms of the Renewables Obligation Order (2002), and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order 2002, licensed electricity suppliers in Great Britain are required to supply specific proportions of their electricity sales from renewable sourced electricity—with the aim of reaching the target of 10.4 per cent. in the period 2010–11.
	For the year to April 2003, the level of the Obligation was set at 3 per cent. (The current level is 4.3 per cent.) Suppliers demonstrate their compliance with the Obligation through presenting Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for all or part of this quota to Ofgem.
	Taking all licensed electricity suppliers in Great Britain together, the proportion of the Renewables Obligation met by the actual supply of renewables in 2.002–03 was 58.9 per cent. 41 per cent. of suppliers met their obligation fully; 23 per cent. met their obligation in part, and 36 per cent. failed to meet any of their obligation target through the supply of renewables.

River Nene

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on trends in populations of invertebrates in the River Nene following the pollution incident earlier this year; what evidence is publicly available of population levels; what evidence she has collated on whether species that are restricted to the affected section of the river are now extinct; whether there has been a survey for the Red Data Book of the riffle beetle Stenelimis canaliculata; whether a survey is planned; and what plans the Environment Agency has to repair damage to biodiversity as a result of the incident.

Elliot Morley: The results of the routine biological monitoring of the River Nene in spring 2003 showed that biological water quality at Cogenhoe (NGR SP 831 615) (mid reaches of the River Nene) and sites as far downstream as Orton Staunch (NGR TL 167 973) were uncharacteristically poor. In particular, there was a general absence of water hog louse, mayflies and freshwater shrimp, normally commonly occurring freshwater invertebrate species in the River Nene. In contrast, the invertebrate community at Duston Mill (NGR SP 730 597), the routine monitoring site further upstream of Cogenhoe, suggested good water quality with these taxa found in abundance.
	Results of a survey undertaken in September 2003 from sites along the River Nene show that biological water quality at Billing Road Bridge and Cogenhoe (mid reaches of the River Nene) is improving (although water hog louse and freshwater shrimp is still absent). In contrast, the invertebrate community at sites in the lower reaches of the River Nene has largely recovered, and these sites achieved their water quality target rating.
	Recently an additional survey has been undertaken at the same sites. Although sample processing is not yet completed, initial observations suggest that mid reaches of the River Nene are still impacted by the pollution incident that occurred earlier in the year. Of particular concern is the continuing absence of water hog louse and freshwater shrimp.
	The Environment Agency undertakes routine freshwater invertebrate surveys in spring and autumn seasons each year at specific sites along the River Nene. This information is available to members of the public upon application to the Environment Agency Customer Services Department in Lincoln (Tel. 01522 513100). Additional surveying of the River Nene and Hardingstone Dyke was undertaken to locate the source of the pollution. Data arising from these surveys is not currently available pending the outcome of the Environment Agency Special Enforcement team review of this case. Monitoring undertaken to record recovery of the River Nene and Hardingstone Dyke, is also available to members of the public, on application to the customer services department.
	Surveys have been undertaken at three-monthly intervals at important sites along the River Nene using standard methods which sample the accessible margins of the watercourse using a pond net. Key species (water hog louse and freshwater shrimp) which were absent at sites along the mid reaches of the River Nene remain absent. The Red Data Book riffle beetle Stenelimis canaliculata was not found in any samples taken in 2003, although it has been recorded very infrequently in the lower reaches of the River Nene in the past. It is difficult to say whether its absence is related to the pollution incident, as it is a deep-water species and unlikely to be sampled using Environment Agency standard methodology.
	The Environment Agency have not carried out a specific survey for the Red Data Book riffle beetle Stenelimis canaliculata and have no plans to conduct such a survey. To do so would disturb the habitat, which could be damaging to this and other deep water species.
	It is not normal practice to restock invertebrate populations damaged by pollution incidents; invertebrate populations usually recover through natural colonisation from tributaries and unaffected sites upstream, or natural invertebrate re-distribution.
	Fish were not affected directly by the pollution incident, so fish re-stocking is not necessary. However, the longer term health of fish populations in the mid reaches of the River Nene may be affected because their food source remains depleted.

River Nene

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the impact of the pollution incident on the River Nene earlier in the year was on the invertebrate populations of Morton's Leam Special Area of Conservation; and whether the site has favourable conservation status.

Elliot Morley: Environment Agency monitoring of the Morton's Leam SAC shows no impact of this pollution incident on the Morton's Leam, which was surveyed in July 2003. The results showed a diverse and abundant invertebrate community and the biological data suggested excellent water quality. The key species impacted by the pollution on the River Nene, water hog louse (Asellus aquaticus) and freshwater shrimp (in this instance, Crangonyx pseudogracilis) were abundant in Morton's Leam. The results compare favourably with earlier surveys, which date back to 1985.
	The Nene washes (of which Morton's Leam are a part), have unfavourable and unchanged conservation status.

River Nene

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on invertebrate biodiversity in the Nene water system in the last 10 years.

Elliot Morley: The River Nene normally supports an invertebrate community consistent with that type of river. Reductions in invertebrate biodiversity occurred after the 2003 pollution incident at sites as far downstream as Orton Staunch, near Peterborough. Components of the invertebrate community remain absent at some impacted sites.

Shellfish Licensing Scheme

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when a new shellfish licensing scheme will be introduced; and whether the scheme will take account of its impact on (a) small boat (under eight metres) fishermen and (b) future new entrants to the industry.

Ben Bradshaw: A restrictive licensing scheme for shellfish (crabs and lobsters) will take effect from 1 January 2004 for vessels over 10 metres and from 1 April 2004 for vessels under 10 metres. Shellfish entitlements are being granted to existing fishing vessels which, with their current licences, have taken more than 200 kg of lobsters or 750 kg of crabs in any 12 month period between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002. The scheme will apply to vessels under eight metres which will account for more than 40 per cent. of the vessels qualifying under the scheme. Anyone wishing to take up shellfishing will need to acquire an appropriate fishing vessel licence carrying a shellfish entitlement from an existing vessel. Licensed fishing vessels without a shellfish entitlement will be permitted to land up to five lobsters and 25 crabs per day.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Law Officers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent (a) democratic and (b) human rights issues the Law Officers have considered.

Harriet Harman: There is a longstanding convention that the fact that the Law Officers have been consulted is not publicly disclosed. This is consistent with paragraphs 2 and 4(d) of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the progress is of the UN programme for voter registration in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: On 1 December voter registration for the 2004 general election started in eight regional capitals (Kabul, Bamian, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif, Konduz, Kandahar, Heart and Gardez). Initial results indicated that the UN backed programme has proceeded smoothly with 21,370 voters, including 2,395 women registered to vote in the first week. The government, with the help of ISAF and the international coalition forces has taken measures to ensure security of the teams carrying out the registrations. Voter intimidation however, as well as the reluctance in rural areas to allow women to register, continues to be a major concern. The UN remains confident that they will meet their goal of registering 10 million Afghan voters.

Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the expenditure allocated to each programme in middle income countries prior to his written statement to the House of 6 November 2003, Official Report, columns 41–43WS.

Hilary Benn: DFID's internal resource allocation process allocates funds to many middle income countries (MICs) on a regional basis only. Individual country expenditure plans within these regions are flexible and are managed collectively within the overall budget. The table shows indicative figures for the amount we were planning to spend on middle income country programmes within these regional budget lines and excludes any multi-country programmes.
	
		Middle income country expenditure plans (£ million) 
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 South Africa 35 35 35 
			 China 38 60 55 
			 Sri Lanka 15 20 8 
			 EC Pre Accession (Romania, Bulgaria) 8.1 6.4 5.4 
			 Balkans (Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia, Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania) 19.6 18.8 18.2 
			 Russia 19.7 17.6 12.4 
			 Latin America (Brazil, Peru, Honduras, Bolivia) 17.7 16.2 15.2 
			 Caribbean (Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, Windward Islands) 11.3 10.6 10.3 
			 Overseas Territories (Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Helena) 33.2 30.0 28.1 
			 Palestinian Authority 15.5 11.5 11.5 
			 Middle East Regional (Egypt, Jordan) 6.4 6.0 4.0 
			 Iraq (prior to 14 October statement) 201.9 5.9 5.9

Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the aid programmes in middle income countries whose funding from the Department will be reduced as a result of the recent announcement on the diversion of aid.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State outlined the middle income countries and regional programmes that will be affected in his statement to the House of 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 42WS. More detailed plans are now being made, in consultation with partner countries and other donors. They will be embodied in the annual revision of DFID's Aid Framework, which is expected to be completed over the next two months.

Aid

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received concerning the UK Government's performance in meeting the UN's international development aid target as a proportion of gross national product.

Hilary Benn: Representations have been received on this subject from a wide range of correspondents. Since 1997, the UK's level of official development assistance has increased in real terms by 93 per cent. It currently stands at 0.33 per cent. of Gross National Income for this financial year, and will rise to 0.4 per cent. in 2005–06, exceeding the EU target of 0.39 per cent. for member states, and more than double the current G7 average of 0.19 per cent. The UK remains committed to the UN target of 0.7 per cent. oda/GNI and to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Art Acquisition

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by his Department since 1997 was; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by his Department through sales of its works of art has been since 1997.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not spent any funds on the acquisition of works of art since 1997. All works of art in our UK offices are on loan from the Government Art Collection. Most DFID offices overseas have some low value works of art that have been purchased locally, but we have no central records, and the information could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Eritrea

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is giving to (a) the Government of Eritrea and (b) aid agencies operating within Eritrea.

Hilary Benn: We are not providing any direct assistance to the Government of Eritrea.
	However, in 2003, we have provided the following assistance for Eritrea to address humanitarian needs:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			  
			 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 500,000 
			 UNICEF 1,000,000 
			 World Food Programme (WFP) 1,000,000 
			 CAFOD 200,000 
			 Dutch Interchurch Aid 550,000 
		
	
	We are considering what support we should provide to the 2004 Consolidated Annual Appeal for Eritrea that has recently been issued.
	We also have a Small Grants Scheme, which is managed by our Embassy in Asmara and is for the funding of small development projects in Eritrea. Our total support for this scheme in the current financial year is £200,000.

Eritrea

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Government of Eritrea on development aid; and what plans he has to link aid to progress on human rights issues in that country.

Hilary Benn: We have written to the President of Eritrea indicating that we plan to provide our development assistance to Eritrea through the EU, IMF and World Bank. DFID provides funds to these organisations.
	We also indicated that in order for Eritrea to make progress on eliminating poverty through support from partners, they needed to engage in developing a strong Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. We also stressed the need for these development partnerships to be based on frank dialogue and the sharing of information.
	During his recent visit to London, I explained to the Eritrean Foreign Minister that we do not have a bilateral programme with every country and referred to our support through the EU, World Bank and IMF. We also reminded him of the substantial humanitarian support that we have provided to Eritrea in 2003.

Iraq

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the role in the reconstruction of Iraq of the privatisation of state-owned enterprises being pursued by the Private Sector Development Department of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the privatisation of Iraqi state-owned enterprises being pursued by the Private Sector Development Department of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority; and if he will make a statement on compatibility of such action with Article 55 of Section III of the Annex to the Hague Convention (IV) 1907.

Hilary Benn: No decision has been made on the privatisation of Iraqi state-owned enterprises. As Paul Bremer, the US Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, stated at the Madrid Conference,
	"Decisions on that matter [privatisation of Iraqi State Owned Enterprises] will be made in due course by Iraqi authorities".

Mr. Andrew Smith

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contracts his Department has entered into in the last 12 months with (a) Avient Air and (b) other companies in which Mr. Andrew Smith has an interest; what services have been provided to his Department under these contracts in (i) Sierra Leone and (ii) other countries; what the value of these contracts is; when these contracts were entered into; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: We have no contracts with Avient Air. As far as my Department is aware, we have none with any other companies in which Mr. Smith has an interest.

Zimbabwe

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the nature is of (a) food and (b) HIV/AIDS programmes he is funding in Zimbabwe.

Hilary Benn: At least 5.5 million Zimbabweans will require food assistance in the run up to the next harvest in April 2004. This year DFID is providing support worth £21 million for emergency feeding programmes. This is being channelled both through the World Food Programme's Emergency Appeal and directly to international and Zimbabwean NGOs. This direct DFID support reached 1.2 million people in October 2003, 80 per cent. of whom are children.
	HIV/AIDS remains a key challenge for Zimbabwe and kills over 2,500 people each week, while 25 per cent. of the adult population are infected. DFID has committed £27 million for longer term HIV/AIDS programming. This includes the supply of condoms through clinics and private sector outlets, promoting behavioural change and home-based care for the chronically sick.

Zimbabwe

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many internally displaced persons there are in Zimbabwe; and how many Zimbabwean refugees there are abroad.

Hilary Benn: There is a significant population of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Zimbabwe, mainly due to growing food shortages and the continued farm seizures. This has resulted in the displacement of an estimated one hundred thousand people, predominantly farm workers. However, exact numbers are difficult to assess. The Government of Zimbabwe's reluctance to acknowledge the disastrous effects of the fast-track land reform programme has prevented the humanitarian community from carrying out a comprehensive assessment or establishing recognised IDP camps.
	Numbers of documented Zimbabwean refugees are negligible—the vast majority of Zimbabweans fleeing the crisis are classed as migrants. Again, exact numbers of this transient population are difficult to assess, as many are illegal migrants in the sub-region. However, there are believed to be 2.35 million Zimbabwean migrants in the Southern Africa region. The vast majority of these, approximately two million, are in South Africa.
	DFID is providing support to the International Organisation for Migration and also a Zimbabwean NGO working with former farm workers to prevent displacement and provide, humanitarian assistance for displaced people.

Zimbabwe

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether food aid supplies in Zimbabwe have been secured beyond December.

Hilary Benn: The UN World Food Programme (WFP), who are the principal coordinators for general food distributions in Zimbabwe, have to date secured over 50 per cent. of the funding requested for this year's Emergency Operation (EMOP) in Zimbabwe. This follows recent pledges of US$8 million from the European Union, and £5 million from DFID. This means that food will be available for distribution until mid-February 2004, when there will be a shortage of cereals if further contributions are not forthcoming. A substantial additional pledge is anticipated shortly from the United States.
	Despite this funding, the WFP have reduced monthly ration levels in order to accommodate the growing number of vulnerable people, above the level anticipated when the EMOP appeal was originally prepared. This increase in beneficiary numbers is partly due to increased urban vulnerability, as spiralling inflation (now over 500 per cent.) has affected food prices in shops. There is also emerging evidence of up to several hundred thousand people facing crisis in the former commercial farming areas, most of whom are former farm workers displaced by the Government's disastrous land reform programme. Additionally, the state-controlled Grain Marketing Board has proved erratic and unreliable in contributing to food supply and distribution in the country. Donors are monitoring the situation closely, in close consultation with the WFP.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Departmental Administrative Costs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the administrative costs were for the Department in each financial year from 1996–97 (a) before adjustments for machinery of government changes and (b) after such adjustments.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 9 December 2003
	The information requested is set out in the following table. the changes have been projected backwards to provide a consistent set of figures for the period requested.
	
		Net administration costs -- £ million
		
			  1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 (planned) 
		
		
			 Total Admin Costs before adjustment 269 244 232 245 254 270 258 252 
			 Machinery of Government changes from 2001 -28 -25 -26 -26 -26 -33 -32 -32 
			 Machinery of Government changes from 2003 (provisional) 0 0 5 5 5 5 5 6 
			 Total Admin Costs after adjustment(8) 241 219 211 224 233 242 231 226 
		
	
	(8) Figures include Sure Start and the Children and Young People's Unit where appropriate.

Child Protection Investigations

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local authorities have instituted child protection investigations with regard to children held in custody or removal centres during 2003.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not held centrally.

Directorate Staff

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many civil servants were employed in the (a) Schools, (b) Lifelong Learning and (c) Youth Policy Directorates in each year since 1997.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 3 December 2003
	The numbers of civil servants employed in the Schools, Lifelong Learning and Youth Directorates as at 1 April for the years in question so far as the information is available are:
	
		
			  Directorate 
			  Schools(9) Lifelong Learning(10) Youth(11) 
		
		
			 October 2003 969 906 0 
			 April 2003 1,602 661 376 
			 April 2002 1,385 681 336 
			 April 2001 1,134 1,017 — 
			 April 2000 1,017 — — 
			 April 1999 913 — — 
			 April 1998 800 — — 
		
	
	(9) The rise in School Directorate figures over the period is largely a result of additional responsibilities, for example, the creation of Sure Start and Children and Young Peoples' Unit.
	(10) Lifelong Learning Directorate was established in May 2000 drawing on staff from the previously existing Employment, Lifelong Learning and International, Further and Higher Education and Youth Training and Operations Directorates.
	(11) Youth Directorate was set up in September 2001 with staff from Lifelong Learning and Employment, Equality and International Relations Directorates. In October 2003, Youth Directorate ceased to exist and its responsibilities were transferred to other Directorates within the Department.

Emergency Contraception

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to ensure that girls aged under 16 are properly supervised when taking emergency contraception.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 15 December 2003
	NHS provision of emergency contraception is always by a health professional under medical supervision. Health professionals can provide contraception to young people under 16 provided they are satisfied that the young person is competent to understand fully the implications of any treatment and to make a choice of the treatment involved. Health professionals work within an established legal framework which involves assessing the young person's competence to understand the choices they are making and encouraging them to talk to their parents. All professionals are bound by their professional code of confidentiality. A young person's request for confidentiality is respected unless there are serious child protection issues.
	Providing emergency contraception through a range of community outlets aim to increase early access. All health professionals providing emergency contraception are trained to ensure that young women are informed about and encouraged to visit local services that provide regular forms of contraception and condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Fair Trade Products

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is the policy of his Department to use fair trade products, as a matter of course, in (a) sales on Departmental premises and (b) receptions and meetings involving staff and visitors.

Stephen Twigg: Fair trade products are offered for sale in all Departments' head office buildings, restaurants and can also be supplied, on request, for meetings and receptions.

Fees (Repayment)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research the Learning and Skills Council is carrying out into (a) the level of and (b) repayment arrangements for fees in (i) post-16 education and (ii) further education colleges.

Alan Johnson: The research work carried out by the Learning and Skills Council is the Council's operational responsibility. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member providing the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Foundation Courses

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places for students taking foundation degrees the Government are planning to fund in 2004/05.

Alan Johnson: The Higher Education Funding Council for England is in the process of allocating up to 10,000 additional full-time equivalent foundation degree places for the academic year 2004/05. Bidding closed on 3 December and the outcome will be announced in February 2004.
	These places will be additional to any already in the system and planned for by individual institutions. The Higher Education Students Early Statistics survey (2002) data for the academic year 2002/03 showed 12,417 students (headcount—a mix of full and part-time) studying for a foundation degree. Early data on the numbers studying for a foundation degree in the current academic year will not be available until January 2004.
	Outside specific Additional Number Exercises such at the current one, the Higher Education Funding Council for England does not normally plan the detailed funding of places. The number and type of places offered are a matter for the funded institution to determine within the resources available to them.

Free School Travel

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the costs were of free school travel (a) to grammar schools, (b) to upper schools and (c) for children with disabilities in Buckinghamshire in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2003.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 11 December 2003
	This information is not held centrally.

Further Education

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has carried out on the ability of (a) individuals and (b) employers to pay increased fees for further education courses.

Alan Johnson: We have little direct evidence about the impact of higher fees in further education (FE) on individuals' or employers' ability to pay. However, in a recent DfES study of adult learners in FE, 40 per cent. assessed themselves as "financially comfortable" and a further 38 per cent. as "not particularly struggling but don't have much to spare", 14 per cent. said they "found it quite hard to cope financially", and only 7 per cent. said they were "finding it very difficult to cope financially".

Dietary Advice

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures his Department has taken to promote healthy eating in schools; and if he will list the funding commitment for each measure.

Stephen Twigg: The National Healthy Schools programme, jointly sponsored by Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department of Health (DoH), through funding of £5.7 million since 2000, promotes healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. The National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) promotes a whole school approach to health. Healthy eating is one of the eight themes of the NHSS. Schools demonstrate that the taught curriculum complements informed messages about healthy eating, for example, food on offer in vending machines and tuck shops. Schools will supply, promote and monitor healthier food at lunch and break times and in any breakfast clubs where they are provided. Over 14,000 schools are taking part in the healthy schools programme and over 8,000 schools are working 'intensively' to achieve the NHSS.
	Additionally, we are: working with the Food Standards Agency and Ofsted to examine aspects of school meals and good practice in food and nutrition (DfES contribution—£330,000); working with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on promoting healthy lifestyles through greater engagement with growing and farming and local food procurement (in excess of £720,000 between March 2002—March 2004); providing a top up to the EU school milk subsidy scheme (£0.5 million annually from January 2001); on a range of other education, food and health interests on improving teaching and learning about healthy eating for pupils of all ages (exact figures not available, but in excess of £0.5 million).

Learning and Skills Council

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the areas where the Learning and Skills Council is reviewing the provision of post-16 education.

Alan Johnson: Local Learning and Skills Councils are conducting Strategic Area Reviews of post-16 LSC-funded provision in all areas of England. These started in April 2003. Nine local LSCs have been Identified as pathfinders: Nottinghamshire; Bedford and Luton; Northumberland; Cheshire and Warrington; Berkshire; Bournemouth Dorset and Poole; Birmingham and Solihull; North Yorkshire; and a pathfinder involving all five local LSCs in the London region. They will undergo early evaluation and lessons learnt will be shared with local LSCs across the country.

Pupil Absences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many half days have been lost owing to unauthorised absence of pupils in each year since 1997 (a) in absolute terms and (b) as a proportion of the total number of half days.

Ivan Lewis: The data for unauthorised absence, as requested, is shown in the following table.
	
		Yearly unauthorised absence between 1997/98 -2002/03
		
			  Total possible sessions (a) Half days missed due to unauthorised absence (b) Percentageof half days missed 
		
		
			 1997/98 2,074,028,975 15,355,180 0.74 
			 1998/99 2,140,513,917 15,644,482 0.73 
			 1999/2000 2,125,665,642 15,008,057 0.71 
			 2000/01 2,124,473,604 15,423,004 0.73 
			 2001/02 2,128,700,388 15,296,933 0.72 
			 2002/03(12) 2,105,577,893 14,846,088 0.71 
		
	
	(12) Provisional

School Trips

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance he has issued to schools and local education authorities on making parents aware of assistance available (a) to cover the cost of school trips and (b) to help provide school uniforms; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 11 December 2003
	Detailed guidance for LEAs and schools on charging for school trips is contained in Circular 2/89. The same information is reproduced in the School Governors' Guides to the Law, which are revised and re-issued annually. In March 2003 we sent out a letter to all Chief Education Officers and Directors of Education explaining how remission of charges for school trips would work once child tax credits were introduced. This letter is posted on The Parent Centre website.
	All LEAs and schools must have a charging policy in place, which is readily available to parents. In addition, when schools make charges, or request money, they must explain whether parents are being asked to pay for a specific activity or make a general contribution to school funds. Schools must also be clear whether or not contributions are voluntary.
	We do not provide guidance to LEAs on the assistance they may provide to parents on meeting the cost of school uniforms. LEAs may delegate this work to schools, but must ensure that all their schools adopt a consistent approach.

Student Loans

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department spends each year on the cost of subsidising the student loan book; and what proportion of every pound loaned this represents;
	(2)  what the net present value including administration and the subsidy cost, of each pound loaned to students is as part of the student loan book.

Alan Johnson: The interest subsidy is calculated on the loans issued in year rather than the loans stock. Based on the loans issued during 2001–02, the cost per pound of the subsidy and administration costs was 42p. This is based on
	the increase in the interest subsidy provision (including the cost of unwinding the discount) which can vary from year to year according to a number of factors, e.g. the Retail Price Index, HM Treasury discount rate; and
	the cash Grant in Aid paid by DfES for administration costs to the Student Loan Company.
	No figures have yet been published for 2002–03. Information for that year will be contained in the 2002–03 resource accounts which will be published within the next month. The outstanding student loan stock at 31 March 2002 was £7,203,199,000; the closing balance of the interest subsidy provision was £1,593,670,000 and the Grant in Aid to the Student Loans Company was £27,650,000.

Student Loans

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much of the money loaned to students by the Student Loans Company has been written off in each of the past ten financial years.

Alan Johnson: The table shows the total value of student loans in the UK and in public ownership which have been written off or cancelled in each financial year.
	
		£ million
		
			 Financial year Amount written off or cancelled(13),(14),(15) 
		
		
			 1993–94 0.2 
			 1994–95 0.3 
			 1995–96 0.5 
			 1996–97 0.9 
			 1997–98 1.0 
			 1998–99 of which: 0.9 
			 Income Contingent Loans (16)— 
			 1999–2000(17)of which: 1.2 
			 Income Contingent Loans (18)— 
			 2000–01 of which: 1.1 
			 Income Contingent Loans 0.2 
			 2001–02 (provisional) of which: 1.4 
			 Income Contingent Loans 0.4 
			 2002–03 (provisional) of which: 2.6 
			 Income Contingent Loans 0.7 
		
	
	(13) The table shows the value of loans cancelled or written off during each financial year.
	(14) Two portfolios of student loans to the value of just over £2 billion have been sold to the private sector in March 1998 and March 1999. The figures in the table relate to the public debt only.
	(15) A cancelled loan is one where the borrower no longer has any liability to repay as set out by legislation. A borrower's liability to repay a mortgage style loan shall be cancelled: on death of the borrower; after 25 years or when the borrower reaches the age of 50 (60 if the borrower was aged over 40 when he/she last borrowed), whichever is the earlier, provided the borrower is not in arrears of any loan agreement; and if the borrower is in receipt of a disability related benefit and permanently unfit for work. Income contingent loans are cancelled because of death or permanent disability in the same way, but are cancelled on the grounds of age when the borrower reaches the age of 65. A written off loan is one where the borrower remains liable to repay but recovery is deemed unlikely by the loan administrator or not possible by legal judgment.
	(16) Not available.
	(17) Amounts written off in 1999–2000 include some transactions which relate to the previous financial year.
	(18) Nil/negligible.
	The amount written off or cancelled may relate to loans advanced in any of the previous financial years. Therefore data cannot be expressed as a proportion of amount lent.
	In addition to the amount shown in the table, £0.5 million was written off under the Repayment of Teacher Loans scheme in respect of accounts in public ownership in financial year 2002–03.
	The introduction of the income contingent loan based system of student support from 1998–99 meant that the amount of student loans paid out each year has increased. The amount of loan advanced in 1993–94 was £292.3 million (all mortgage style); in 2002–03 it was £2,618.0 million (of which £2,599.2 million was income contingent loans). A consequence of this increase is a higher level of write-off or cancellation.

Teachers (Work Permits)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the work permits granted since January 2003 by country for (a) primary teachers and (b) secondary teachers in each Government office region.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The numbers of work permits granted to teachers, by country, from 1 January 2003 to 30 September 2003 (the latest date for which information is available) are as follows:
	
		
			  Work permits granted 
		
		
			 South Africa 1,284 
			 Australia 986 
			 New Zealand 539 
			 United States of America 502 
			 Canada 432 
			 Jamaica 430 
			 Zimbabwe 228 
			 India 150 
			 Ghana 102 
			 Japan 61 
			 Others 682 
			 Total 5,396 
		
	
	Work Permits (UK) is unable to provide from its management information a breakdown of this data by type of school to which permits have been issued or by region.

Top-up Fees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what level of top-up fees student teachers will be expected to pay on undergraduate teacher training courses at universities in the Russell Group; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Paul Farrelly) on 20 November 2003, Official Report, columns 1497–1498W.

Top-up Fees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the cost of servicing the debt outstanding on the income-contingent student loan scheme after the introduction of top-up fees; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 15 December 2003, Official Report, column 671W.

Tuition Fees

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what liability for tuition fees those who choose to drop out of a degree course incur; and how this money is required to be repaid.

Alan Johnson: Where the student withdraws from their course and is assessed to make a private contribution towards their fees, it is for the student and the institution to determine the amount that should be paid. It is also for the institution to determine any repayment that may be due. Guidance is provided to institutions by Universities UK. There is no liability on the student to repay the tuition fee grant once it has been paid to the institution.

DEFENCE

A400M Project

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the A400M project.

Adam Ingram: A contract for the development and production of the A400M aircraft was signed with Airbus Military on 27 May 2003 by the Organisation for Joint Armaments Co-operation on behalf of the participating nations (Germany, France, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and United Kingdom). The UK will take 25 aircraft out of a total 180. The contract milestones are being achieved. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 July 2003, Official Report, column 314W to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones).

Aircraft Numbers

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many aircraft, of each type, will be deployed over the time scale covered by the Defence White Paper;
	(2)  when he will complete his review of the future numbers of aircraft to be deployed by the RAF over the period referred to in his statement of 11 December 2003.

Geoff Hoon: As I said in my statement of 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 1211, the Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking work to develop the details of the individual systems and structures appropriate for the policy context as set out in the Defence White Paper, "Delivering Security in a Changing World." I shall make further announcements on the results of that work next year.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are (a) employed in and (b) seconded to the Defence Export Services Organisation; and how many departmental staff are engaged in oversight of the licensing of military equipment and weapons for export.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) employed 606 personnel as at 31 October 2003; three were on secondment from industry.
	The Department of Trade and Industry is the licensing authority for the export of military equipment. Within the Ministry of Defence the equivalent of 65 full-time staff have specific responsibility for considering applications to licence the export of military equipment, or the policy associated with this activity. This number includes 34 employed full-time within DESO.

Defence Fire Service

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what activities, other than those directly related to the provision of fire cover to UK military forces, the Defence Fire Service has been involved in in Iraq since February.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Fire Services deployed in Iraq assist in the provision of fire service support to coalition forces and provide advice on the production of fire safety orders and procedures to enhance safety.
	They have also provided assistance to the host nation and the civil community. They continue to train the host nation civilian fire service and have attended a variety of emergency host nation incidents including oil pipeline fires, road traffic accidents, and rescue from buildings. They have also undertaken comprehensive fire inspections to enable the re-commissioning of electricity and water supplies and have assisted in the sanitation of warehouses for receipt of humanitarian aid.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government remain committed to purchasing 232 Eurofighter Typhoons.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom remains committed to the Typhoon programme. Under the four partner nation Memorandum of Understanding, the UK has undertaken to acquire 232 aircraft out of a total production of 620.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will order Tranche II of the Eurofighter Typhoon; and how many aircraft he will order.

Adam Ingram: Work is under way involving our partner nations and industry to enable contracts for the second tranche of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to be placed as soon as possible over the coming months. The Tranche 2 contract comprises 236 aircraft of which 89 will be for the RAF.

Iraq

Helen Liddell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists are in Iraq; and what plans he has to change this number.

Adam Ingram: As at 11 December 2003, there were 1,235 reservists serving in Iraq. As the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 27 November 2003, Official Report, columns 32–33WS, we intend shortly to conduct a roulement of forces in Iraq. At the end of the roulement the number of reservists in Iraq will remain broadly similar. We continue to keep our forces levels in theatre under review in the light of the operational situation.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hazardous sites the Coalition estimates there are in Iraq; how many of these relate to cluster bombs; what steps are being taken to make them safe; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 November 2003, Official Report, column 504W to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the circumstances were surrounding (a) the death of Radi Nu'ma in British custody in May, (b) the death of Baha Musa in British custody in September and (c) the fatal shooting of Ali Salim in May, in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The Special Investigations Branch is currently investigating the deaths of Radu Nu'ma, Baha Musa and Ah Salim (also known as Radhi Nama, Baha Nasheem Mohamed and Ali Salaam). It would, therefore, be inappropriate for me to comment.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether individuals have been charged in connection with Special Investigation Branch investigations into Iraqi civilian casualties allegedly involving British forces;
	(2)  what action has been taken as a result of the Special Investigation Branch investigations into Iraqi civilian casualties allegedly involving British forces.

Adam Ingram: The Special Investigations Branch has completed two investigations into Iraqi civilian fatalities. The first found there was no case to answer. In the second the SIB has sent a report to the unit concerned but it would be inappropriate for me to comment further as it might be prejudicial should further action be taken. The other investigations have not yet been completed and I am, therefore, unable to comment.

Iraq

Helen Liddell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Scottish regiments are in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The only Scottish regiment currently deployed to Iraq is the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots.
	The 1st Battalion, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders will deploy in Iraq in January 2004.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been issued to (a) civilian staff, (b) military staff and (c) outside organisations regarding the transport of effects to service personnel in Iraq over Christmas; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 10 December 2003
	Family members of United Kingdom Forces personnel serving in Iraq are entitled to send an unlimited number of parcels up to 2kg in weight free of charge through the British Forces Post Office (BFPO).
	The Ministry of Defence has made arrangements for the transport of traditional festive fare to British Forces personnel serving in Iraq. Organisations wishing to donate gifts have been encouraged to contact the MOD to discuss the nature of the gifts and to make arrangements for transport. Transport for such gifts has been provided where spare capacity MOD transport is available.

Joint Strike Fighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans to follow up the findings of the RAND Europe report on the Joint Strike Fighter.

Adam Ingram: The RAND report provided useful advice on the feasibility of establishing a Joint Strike Fighter Final Assembly and Check Out facility in the United Kingdom. Establishment of such a facility is one strand of our approach to the production and support phases of the Joint Strike Fighter Programme. Work is in hand with UK industry to develop initial ideas further.

Legal Expenses

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to date is of legal expenses incurred by his Department in (a) defending Guardsmen Fisher and Wright against the charge of murder and (b) appealing against conviction.

Adam Ingram: The cost to date is approximately £165,000.

Merchant Ships

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 3 December 2003, Official Report, column 66W, on merchant ships, which flags were flown by the merchant ships that did not fly the red ensign; and what percentage of merchant ships chartered by his Department to support allied efforts in the 2003 Iraq war were over (a) 15-years-old, (b) 25-years-old and (c) 30-years-old.

Adam Ingram: Ships chartered in support of the Iraq campaign which did not fly the Red Ensign were registered under the following national flags: Antigua, Bahamas, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Liberia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Panama, Portugal, Spain, St.Vincent, Sweden and Turkey.
	Of the vessels chartered, some 59 per cent. were over 15-years-old, some 9 per cent. were over 25-years-old, and approximately 1.5 per cent. were over 30- years-old.
	The ships chartered by the Ministry of Defence fulfilled all their obligations.

Overseas Deployment

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the three services he expects to be (a) serving abroad and (b) deployed on front-line duties between 24 December and 2 January 2004; what percentage of the trained strength of each force this represents; what provisions he has made to ensure family contact over that period; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 11 December 2003
	The number of Naval Service personnel expected to be stationed abroad between 24 December and 2 January 2004 is 2,209, representing 5.9 per cent. of the trained strength. Of this, 1,223 (3.3 per cent.) personnel will be deployed on front-line duties.
	In the Army, 40,842 personnel are expected to be stationed abroad, representing 40 per cent. of the trained strength. Of this, approximately 19,500 (19 per cent.) are expected to be deployed on front-line duties.
	The number of RAF personnel stationed abroad at 1 November 2003 was 4,895. This is not expected to change significantly by 24 December 2003. This figure represents 10 per cent. of the trained strength. Of this, the number of personnel expected to be deployed on operations is approximately 1,800 (3.7 per cent.).
	Of those stationed overseas on operations, or otherwise, a proportion are likely to be away from their duty station on leave or individual courses.
	An Operational Welfare Package (OWP) is available for those personnel on operations, exercises and deployments which are expected to last for two months or more. It includes many welfare enablers for the deployed Service person, including 20 minutes of publicly funded telephone calls per person per week, internet, e-bluey and postal access and was extended in April 2003 to provide public funds to improve communications between families and those deployed.
	Over the period 22 December—2 January an additional 20 minutes of telephone calls has been authorised. This means that 40 minutes of publicly funded telephone calls will be available over the Christmas/new year period to families and friends to any destination in the world.
	Individuals also have the opportunity to buy further telephone minutes as they require.

Permanent Secretary (Engagements)

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates in July 2002 the Permanent Secretary held meetings with the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the United States State Department.

Adam Ingram: Sir Kevin Tebbit, Permanent Under Secretary, met Mr. Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the US State Department on 19 July 2002 in Washington DC.

Project Isolus

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what terms of reference he gave to Lancaster University in connection with their contract to conduct public consultations for Project Isolus; what the basis was for giving three working days notice of the recent public meeting in Whitehaven; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 15 December 2003
	I am placing a copy of the terms of reference applicable to Lancaster University's Project Isolus public consultation work in the Library of the House. Lancaster University placed advertisements for the public meeting at Whitehaven in three local weekly newspapers during the week before the meeting, to reduce the risk of it being poorly attended. The first advertisement appeared in the North West Evening Mail on 24 November 2003, one week before the meeting on 1 December 2003. This strategy was also aimed at ensuring that the advertisements would appear at about the same time as any articles published in advance of the meeting, thereby setting the event in context. Information on public meetings, at Whitehaven and elsewhere in England and Scotland, was also published on the Lancaster University website around two to four weeks in advance of the confirmed date for the meetings.

Saudi Arabia

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value was of the management fee received by the Ministry of Defence from the Saudi Arabian Government for its management of the Saudi Armed Forces Project in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: Details of the fees received by the Ministry of Defence are confidential between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabian Governments. I am therefore withholding that information under the provisions of Exemption 1 of Part II of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information.

Scottish Battalions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 130W, on Northern Ireland, how many soldiers from Scottish Battalions are stationed in Northern Ireland.

Adam Ingram: There are no Scottish Battalions currently stationed in Northern Ireland. There may be individual soldiers from Scottish Battalions serving on detachment in Northern Ireland, but this information is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Ship Construction (Govan)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the time scale for construction of two landing ship dock (auxiliary) ships at Govan has changed; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The timescale for construction of two Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) (LSD(A)) by BAE Systems Marine at Govan will change following the recent announcement by the lead shipyard, Swan Hunter, of delays to its own build programme. We are is currently reviewing the impact this will have on the In-Service Dates of all four LSD(A)s.

Troop Deployment

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the Army is deployed.

Adam Ingram: Approximately 20 per cent. of the trained Army are currently deployed on operations.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Ballybeen Women's Centre

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when and where the Head of the Family Policy Unit of the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety has agreed to meet representatives of Ballybeen Women's Centre.

Angela Smith: Representatives from Ballybeen Women's Centre have not, as yet, requested a meeting with the Head of the Family Policy Unit of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Bills

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the extension of the Employment Relations Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport regarding the extension of the Traffic Management Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister regarding the extension of the Fire and Rescue Services Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills regarding the extension of the Children's Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the extension of the Civil Partnerships Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(6)  what discussions he has had with the Home Office regarding the extension of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(7)  what discussions he has had with HM Treasury regarding the extension of the Child Trust Fund Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(8)  what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills regarding the extension of the Higher Education Bill to Northern Ireland;
	(9)  what discussions he has had with the Home Office regarding the extension of the Civil Contingencies Bill to Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: There has been close consultation with other Departments at both ministerial and official level on the development of the Government's overall legislative programme as set out in the Queen's Speech. Where appropriate, these consultations have included the territorial extent of proposed legislation. I envisage that some of the provisions mentioned may extend to Northern Ireland.

Eating Disorders Group

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Eating Disorders Group was established; what its remit is; and what the (a) names and (b) positions of its members are.

Angela Smith: The Regional Eating Disorders Working Group was established in June 2003 to take forward the recommendations of the eating disorder services consultation exercise. The group aims to oversee the development of services at all levels (community, primary care, generic mental health services, secondary care services and specialist services). It has the following objectives:
	Objective 1
	To commission research which includes issues around user and carer views, hidden need, services at community, primary and secondary care level, and gaps in services with the aim of informing service development.
	Objective 2
	For eating disorders identify a range of models of good practice including prevention, early detection and provision of services across all levels and to take account of these models in developing costed proposals for local services.
	Objective 3
	To improve communication between the voluntary sector, primary care, community and secondary care services promoting the use of service directories, self help manuals and identifying appropriate referral pathways.
	Objective 4
	To identify and plan for the education and training needs, including raising awareness, of all stakeholders.
	The group membership is as follows:
	A Consultant Psychotherapist, South and East Belfast HSS Trust
	A Consultant in Public Health Medicine, SHSSB
	A GP, Queens University Student Health
	The Assistant Director of Nursing, EHSSB
	A GP in Portadown Health Centre
	A representative from the Department of Education NI two representatives from the Eating Disorders Association
	A representative from Eating Disorders West
	A Clinical Nurse Specialist, South and East Belfast HSS Trust a volunteer with ADAPT Eating Distress Association
	A Service Planner for Learning Disability and Mental Health, WHSSB
	A project Worker, Craigavon and Banbridge HSS Trust
	A Consultant in Public Health, NHSSB
	A Child and Adolescent Consultant Psychiatrist, Homefirst HSS Trust
	A Specialist Registrar, South and East Belfast HSS Trust seven representatives from DHSS and PS including professional advisors.

Elderly Patients

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) residential places were available for the elderly and (b) beds were blocked by elderly patients on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by parliamentary constituencies.

Angela Smith: Information is not available according to Parliamentary constituency on the number of residential places available for the elderly or the number of delayed discharges in respect of elderly patients. This information is collected centrally according to Health and Social Services Trust, and is shown in the table in respect of the position at 31 March 2003, the latest date for which both sets of data are available.
	
		Number of Places in Residential Homes for the Elderly and elderly delayed discharges, 31 March 2003:
		
			 Health and Social ServicesTrust Places in ResidentialHomes for Elderly Elderly Delayed Discharges 
		
		
			 Down Lisburn 541 19 
			 North and West Belfast 316 45 
			 South and East Belfast 846 43 
			 Ulster 518 28 
			 Causeway 403 42 
			 Homefirst 917 86 
			 Armagh and Dungannon 172 27 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge 173 8 
			 Newry and Mourne 229 16 
			 Foyle 280 10 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 311 5 
			 Northern Ireland Total 4,706 329 
		
	
	Notes
	Places in residential homes for the elderly refer to the total number of available places in such homes, regardless of whether they were occupied or not. The information refers toresidential places in residential or dual registered homes only and excludes nursing places in nursing homes and dual registered homes. Delayed discharges refer to patients occupying acute hospital beds although they were medically fit for discharge. This information is shown according to patients' community Trust of residence, for those aged 65 and over.

Hare Population

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evidence he has collated on the change in the Irish hare population since 1995 in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Research carried out at the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) reported in 1997 that the population of the Irish Hare was at low density in Northern Ireland.
	This assessment was followed up by a research study, 'The Northern Ireland Irish Hare Lepus timidus hibernicus Survey 2002', commissioned by the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) of the Department of the Environment and also carried out by QUB. It reported that Irish Hares were widespread but occurred at a low density of about 1 to 2 per square kilometre.
	The Irish Hare Species Action Plan, published by EHS in 2000, has among its objectives a target to double the Irish Hare population, over as wide an area as possible, by 2010. There will be regular surveys of the Irish Hare population through to 2010. These will identify population trends and assess progress against the objectives in the Irish Hare Species Action Plan. The first of these surveys will be undertaken in Spring 2004.

Hare Population

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library, the scientific evidence he is using as the basis for his proposal for a temporary ban on hare hunting in Northern Ireland from 1 January 2004.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Vauxhall on 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 577W.

Mobile Telephones (Driving Offences)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ban the use of mobile telephones while driving in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the introduction of spot fines for the use of such telephones by drivers.

John Spellar: Under the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 drivers are required by law to exercise proper control of their vehicle at all times. The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 provides that a person who breaches these regulations commits an offence and is liable to a fine of up to level three on the standard scale (£1000). As such, drivers can already be prosecuted for driving with undue care and attention if they are using a mobile telephone while driving.
	With effect from 1 February 2004,1 will be making it a specific offence to use a hand-held mobile phone when driving. The penalty will be a £30 fixed penalty—sometimes referred to as a "spot fine"—or a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction in court. It is also my intention to introduce by September 2005 legislation to increase the penalty by making it an endorsable offence attracting penalty points and a £60 fine.

Operating Theatres

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken to address the issues raised on the use of operating theatres by the Audit Office in April.

Angela Smith: A wide range of action has been taken in response to the recommendations made by the Northern Ireland Audit Office report "The Use of Operating Theatres". The Report made 35 recommendations, of which 13 have been fully implemented. A further 11 recommendations have been partially implemented to date and plans are in place to implement all of the remaining recommendations by September 2004.

Public Liability Insurance

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to help small businesses in Northern Ireland cope with rises in public liability insurance.

Ian Pearson: I appreciate fully the problems which the current hard market in insurance is creating for many businesses.
	Invest NI and the Health and Safety Executive for NI are working with local companies to improve risk management and insurability. In addition I have been pressing the UK insurance market to facilitate more coverage for Northern Ireland businesses.
	In relation specifically to Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI), I will also be working alongside Ministerial colleagues throughout the UK to ensure the effective implementation of the recently published Second Stage Report of the Department of Works and Pensions led ELCI review.

Public Transport

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the results of the research undertaken into the proportion of disabled passengers carried on the Easibus network in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: The results of the survey are expected to be made available early in the new year.

Public Transport

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licensed bus and coach operators there were in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The number of licensed bus and coach operators based in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 98–99 141 
			 99–00 114 
			 00–01 109 
			 01–02 149 
			 02–03 135

Public Transport

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a public transport service to serve (a) isolated communities and (b) mobility impaired residents in rural areas.

John Spellar: The Department for Regional Development continues to support 16 rural community transport partnerships, which offer a range of transport services for their members that complement conventional public transport networks and which in particular provide transport opportunities for people with reduced mobility in rural areas. These partnerships cover most of rural Northern Ireland and the Department is encouraging local interests to establish partnerships in areas currently not covered. The Department also provides revenue support to Translink to maintain a network of 44 rural routes across Northern Ireland, which would otherwise be uneconomic to run. Recently the Department introduced the Bus Challenge Scheme to support new stage carriage bus services in both rural and urban areas. This scheme is open to both Translink and private bus operators and is aimed at addressing gaps in the provision of bus services. So far the Department has agreed to support eight new routes which go through rural areas.

Road Haulage Industry

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) nationally and (b) internationally licensed freight operators were based in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The number of nationally and internationally licensed freight operators based in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			  National International 
		
		
			 98–99 453 1,605 
			 99–00 422 1,541 
			 00–01 398 1,671 
			 01–02 343 1,944 
			 02–03 545 1,725

CABINET OFFICE

Ministerial Cars

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the total running cost of vehicles used by Ministers in his Department was in 2002–03; and what the cost of (a) servicing vehicles and (b) employing chauffeurs was;
	(2)  how much was spent in 2002–03 on the cost of cleaning (a) the interior and (b) the exterior of cars for use by Ministers in his Department;
	(3)  what the cost of each new ministerial car purchased in 2002–03 was; and how often on average each car is replaced.

Douglas Alexander: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive Mr. Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Fire Services

Martin Caton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the consultation process required by the Government when a fire service is drawing up a new integrated management document.

Nick Raynsford: Guidance was published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 28 July 2003 that requires fire and rescue authorities to consult a wide range of stakeholders on their draft Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs), This should take place over a period of not less than 12 weeks to meet Cabinet Office guidelines for written consultations. Copies of the final guidance and a paper setting out the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's response to the main comments received are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Barker Report

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Government will increase the supply of affordable houses as recommended in the Barker Report.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister welcomes the interim report by the Barker Review and look forward to seeing what policy recommendations emerge in the Kate Barker's final report.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has already taken significant steps to tackle the shortage of affordable housing. In all around £5 billion is being allocated over the next two years—2004–05 and 2005–06 to support housing investment in the English regions.
	In addition we have consulted on a proposed update to Planning Policy Guidance note 3: Housing. The aim of the update is to provide a framework that will secure more affordable housing without affecting the overall supply of housing, deliver a better mix of housing in new developments in terms of size, type and affordability, and ensure that the needs of the whole community are addressed, including for particular groups such as key workers. Affordable housing can be secured through planning obligations and we consulted on 6 November on our proposed new policy to improve negotiated planning obligations and legislation for an optional planning charge.

Building Inspectorate

David Chaytor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evaluation he has made of the adequacy of the resourcing levels of the Building Inspectorate to allow it to carry out all its statutory monitoring functions in respect of the current building regulations.

Phil Hope: District and unitary local authorities in England and Wales are responsible for administering and enforcing the Building Regulations. Persons carrying out building projects subject to control by these regulations must use one of two Building Control Services—that provided by the local authority in whose area the work is taking place or by an approved inspector, a private sector alternative. It is the responsibility of local authorities to resource their building control departments, as appropriate, in order to be in a position to carry out their duties under the Building Regulations when they are called upon to provide the Building Control Service.
	The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998 make local authorities responsible for fixing their own charges for those functions carried out under the Building Control Service, and require them to ensure that the revenue from charges fully recovers the costs of carrying out the functions. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly Government conducts an annual monitoring exercise with all local authorities in England and Wales to ascertain the degree to which revenue from their building control functions is fully recovering their costs.

Council Housing

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the Government has invested in council housing in (a) South Tyneside and (b) England in each year since 1996.

Keith Hill: Work undertaken by local authorities to renovate and improve council housing is funded partly from their own resources and partly from resources provided by central government. Part of the central Government funding is provided as general support for housing investment and it is up to individual authorities to decide how much to spend on council housing. The following tables set out the total amounts (£ million) of capital investment in council housing and housing capital allocations made by central Government in the years since 1996–97.
	
		South Tyneside
		
			   Housing capital allocations 
			  Capital investment in council housing HIP allocation(19) CRI (20) MRA (21) Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 4.0 4.4 — — 4.4 
			 1997–98 5.5 3.2 0.9 — 4.1 
			 1998–99 9.2 3.7 3.1 — 6.8 
			 1999–2000 11.0 3.7 3.1 — 6.8 
			 2000–01 11.7 10.8 — — 10.8 
			 2001–02 19.1 3.3 — 11.1 14.4 
			 2002–03 18.4 3.7 — 11.0 14.7 
			 2003–04 14.4 3.4 — 10.9 14.3 
		
	
	
		England
		
			Housing capital allocations 
			  Capital investment in council housing HIP/CRI allocation(19),(20) MRA/ ALMO (21) Total (20) 
		
		
			 1996–97 1,510 1,301 — 1,301 
			 1997–98 1,563 1,104 — 1,104 
			 1998–99 1,660 1,369 — 1,369 
			 1999–2000 1,569 1,411 — 1,411 
			 2000–01 1,816 2,090 — 2,090 
			 2001–02 2,142 997 1,587 2,584 
			 2002–03 2,342 1,041 1,585 2,626 
			 2003–04 2,789 899 1,814 2,713 
		
	
	(19) Housing Investment Programme (HIP) allocations cover mainstream support for housing capital expenditure by local authorities (housing annual capital guidelines(ACGs)) and the ring-fenced support for private sector renewal (which was combined with the mainstream funding from 1997–98) and for disabled facilities grants. The figures also include the funding made available through the Capital Receipts Initiative (1997–98 to 1999–2000), the Housing Partnership Fund (1996–97) and to support Cash Incentive Scheme (CIS) grants (1996–97 to 1999–2000)
	(20) The housing ACGs up to and including 2002–03 include an element that is assumed to be funded from local authorities capital receipts—this amounts to around £200 million for England as a whole.
	(21) Funding for investment in council housing to meet the on-going capital costs of maintaining the stock (Major Repairs Allowance) or to help bring authorities' housing stock up to a decent standard (Arms Length Management Organisation initiative).

Council Tenants

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what arrangements he has put in place to ensure that local authorities identify tenants who lack basic budgeting skills;
	(2)  what arrangements he has put in place to ensure that local authorities supply those of their tenants who lack basic budgeting skills with the opportunity to develop those skills.

Nick Raynsford: While the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no specific arrangements in place, guidance was issued in 1999, in the National Framework for Tenant Participation Compacts which advises local authorities on how to identify tenant training needs and provision. This is aimed primarily at helping tenants to develop their skills and capacity in relation to participating in and influencing decisions affecting them and their homes.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's main interest here is to ensure that social landlords adopt good practice in their approach to tackling housing rent arrears to avoid unnecessary evictions for tenants. Glasgow university is currently carrying out a research project into policy and practice in relation to use of possession orders and eviction by social landlords and to identify good practice in this area: they are expected to complete the research by summer 2004.
	The wider issue of over-indebtedness is being taken forward by a new cross- Government Group announced in the Consumer Credit White paper published on 8 December by the Department for Trade and Industry. As part of its work, the Group may look at financial literacy. It expects to publish a strategy by spring 2004.

Council Tenants

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funds the Government has made available to organisations providing core literacy and numeracy skills schemes for social housing tenants in each of the last five years; and what funds will be made available in 2004–05.

Keith Hill: There are a number of organisations funded by central Government to provide core literacy and numeracy skills training for those in need. This client group may include social housing tenants but not exclusively.
	Over the past two years the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit has provided in excess of £1.5 million to fund a financial literacy programme. Embedded into Government's "Skills for Life" programme, a national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy, the financial literacy programme is run on behalf of Government by the Basic Skills Agency (BSA). The aim of the programme is to help adults with poor literacy, language and numeracy to develop the skills they need to make effective decisions about the use and management of money.
	In developing the programme the BSA have resources and pilots in several areas including Community Development Projects. These projects are testing effective ways of engaging people and delivering financial literacy in community settings.

High Hedges

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when legislation relating to high hedges will come into effect.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects the legislation relating to high hedges to come into effect towards the end of 2004. The next step will be public consultation on regulations covering certain detailed procedural arrangements and on guidance for local authorities.

Housing

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to encourage shared or part ownership arrangements to make housing more affordable; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises the important contribution that shared ownership schemes can play in making home ownership affordable for people on modest incomes. The Home Ownership Task Force, which reported on 13 November, has proposed 45 recommendations to assist in the delivery of affordable housing, including improvements to the operation of the shared ownership scheme. We are considering the recommendations and will respond in the new year.
	Government funding for shared ownership is provided by the Housing Corporation through grants to registered social landlords. Around 13 per cent. of the Corporation's Approved Development Programme in 2003–04 (total programme £1.2 billion) will be spent on home ownership initiatives, including shared ownership and the Homebuy equity loan scheme. In 2002–03 over 4,000 affordable homes were provided through the shared ownership and Homebuy schemes.
	In addition the £250 million Starter Home Initiative is helping key workers into home ownership primarily through equity loan and shared ownership arrangements. Almost 6,000 key workers have so far benefited from the programme.
	From April 2004, the new key worker housing programme will help key workers, both first-time buyers and those wishing to trade-up, in areas of high housing costs. The options available to key workers through the scheme will include equity loan and shared ownership arrangements. Full details of the operation of the scheme will be announced by the beginning of March.

Housing

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what powers local authorities have to ensure an appropriate social mix in housing development; what guidelines he has issued to local authorities on the exercise of these powers; and if he will take steps to give local authorities additional powers in this regard.

Keith Hill: Planning Policy Guidance note 3: "Housing" (March 2000) requires local planning authorities to provide wider housing opportunity and choice, and a better mix in the size and type of housing than is currently available.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently published for consultation proposed changes to the current policies on planning for housing mix set out in PPG3. The consultation document "Influencing the size, type and affordability of housing" proposes that local planning authorities should ensure their policies for residential development, including for affordable housing, widen housing choice and encourage better social mix. It proposes new policy which would allow local planning authorities, where appropriate local plan policies are in place, to reject developments that conflict with the objective of widening housing choice.

Housing

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the housing allocation was for each local authority in each of the last five years; and how many houses were built by each authority in each of those years.

Keith Hill: Details of annual housing capital allocations made to local authorities in England are available in the Library of the House. Information on new housebuilding carried out by local authorities can be found on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website (under "housing/housing statistics/publications") and, for years up to 2000–01, in "Local Housing Statistics".

Local Development Plans

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how the Government will ensure that the number of houses provided in each local development plan is built;
	(2)  what proposals he has to accelerate existing planning permissions for residential dwellings. [R]

Keith Hill: Each local planning authority would be required, under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill, to prepare an Annual Monitoring Report. Regulations would specify that the report has to be prepared by 31 December in each year to cover the period from 1 April to 31 March immediately preceding. The authority would need to report on their performance against the published local development scheme and on the impact of their policies on the ground. The authority and stakeholders would need to know what effect its policies and proposals were having in order to decide whether they are achieving the desired effect or whether changes are needed. Draft Regulation 48 requires authorities to include information on housing policy and performance.
	If the annual report on the effect of the authority's policies or proposals demonstrates that they are not performing as desired this should trigger the authority to revise their local development scheme (and subsequently their local development documents) under clause 25 (revision of local development documents). If they fail to do so, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister can direct the authority to do so.
	Through the planning delivery grant, we are investing an extra £350 million in planning over the three years 2003–06. This will provide local authorities with the resources to deliver an improved, efficient and responsive planning system that takes good decisions in sensible timeframes and delivers the right development in the right places. Part of the grant is top-sliced for local authorities in areas of high housing demand. In 2004–05 we are giving serious consideration to an element of the grant being related to performance in the delivery of housing in these areas.
	Through comprehensive performance assessment we make across the board judgments about the quality of the services delivered and management in authorities. We can use it to assess whether there are corporate reasons for any failure to deliver good housing and planning services. It informs us on the nature and scope of any support that might be needed for failing housing and planning services.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will give the value of the local education authority grant floor and publish his calculations and the assumptions he has made in order to reach that figure;
	(2)  if he will publish his calculations and the assumptions he has made in order to reach the new levels he has set for grant floors and ceilings.

Nick Raynsford: The following table shows the floor, the ceiling and the scaling factor applied to grant increases above the floor which we are proposing for 2004–05 for each local authority group.
	
		
			  Floor (Percentage) Scaling factor applied to grant increase abovethe floor Ceiling (Percentage) 
		
		
			 Authorities with education and social service responsibilities 4 0.9411240 7.5 
			 Single-service police authorities, police part of GLA 3.25 0.0100295 25 
			 Single-service fire authorities, fire part of GLA 3.5 0.9181902 5 
			 Shire districts in two-tier shire areas (i.e. shire districts that do not have education and social service responsibilities) 3 0.2287428 50 
		
	
	For 2004–05 these floors will ensure that all authorities receive an increase in formula grant, when measured against 2003–04 on a like-for-like basis, which is above inflation. (Formula grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, redistributed non-domestic rates, and any Principal Formula Police Grant.) The scaling factor and the ceiling have been set so that, for each local authority group, the cost of supporting authorities below the floor is shared equitably between those authorities with grant increases above the floor.
	The grant floor, the grant ceiling and the scaling factor applied to increases above the floor are inter-related. So for any group of authorities decisions on the floor, the scaling factor and the ceiling have to be taken together. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published on the departmental website models which allow interested parties to explore the effect of other floor and ceiling values (http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/0405/fandc/index.htm).

Local Government Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the amount of specific grant per head from the Local Government Finance Settlement of 2003–04 was for (a) West Sussex and (b) Hartlepool; and if he will give the amount of extra total grant that would be payable if West Sussex were to be funded at the same level of specific grant per head as Hartlepool.

Nick Raynsford: The specific grant per head in West Sussex and Hartlepool is tabled as follows. The variations in funding per head reflect a number of factors including the level of relative deprivation in each local authority and the take up of grants, for example the number of local authority funded nursery education places. Distributing simply on the basis of population would not reflect the different needs of different areas.
	
		
			  Specific grants(22) (£) Population(23) Specific grants per head(£/head) 
		
		
			 West Sussex 68,200,000 754,253 90.42 
			 Hartlepool 22,777,000 88,711 256.76 
		
	
	(22) This information is taken from local authority budget RA returns.
	(23) The population is taken from the Office for National Statistics 2001 mid year population estimates.
	Note:
	If West Sussex received specific grant support at the same level per head as Hartlepool then they would receive £125,458,290 extra.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will give the amount of formula grant per head from the Local Government Finance Settlement of 2003–04 for (a) West Sussex, (b) inner London boroughs, (c) outer London boroughs and (d) the English average; and if he will give the amount of extra total grant that would be payable if West Sussex were to be funded at the same level of formula grant per head as (i) inner London boroughs, (ii) outer London boroughs and (iii) the English average.

Nick Raynsford: Formula grant per head in 2003–04 is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Area Formula grant per head (£) 
		
		
			 West Sussex county council 503.33 
			 Inner London boroughs (including City of London) 1,166.30 
			 Outer London boroughs 809.90 
			 England 892.49 
		
	
	The formula grant per head figures in the table are not directly comparable since the services provided by West Sussex county council are not the same as those provided by London boroughs. London boroughs also provide those services provided by the district council within the West Sussex area; while West Sussex county council received an allocation of grant to cover fire services in 2003–04, that are provided by the Greater London Authority in the London area. In addition the City of London also provides police services. The total England figure includes both district level and police services; neither of these services are provided by West Sussex county council.
	The calculation of formula grant takes account of a range of factors other than the numbers of recipients. It includes top-ups for deprivation, pay costs, and other factors such as population sparsity that drive the costs of service delivery in different areas, as well as the relative ability of councils to raise council tax in their areas. Simple per capita comparisons will not therefore be meaningful comparisons of all the factors that drive grant distribution.
	If West Sussex county council received £1,166.30 per head of formula grant then it would have received £879,685,274, an additional £500,043,641; at £809.90 per head of formula grant then it would have received £610,869,505, an additional £231,227,872; and at £892.49 then it would have received £673,163,260, an additional £293,521,627.

Peterborough Housing Corporation

Helen Clark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what he estimates will be the delay to the transfer of housing stock to the Peterborough Housing Corporation whilst the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24 October is considered.

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friends the Members for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Crausby) and for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) on 15 December 2003.

Planning Grants

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which (a) local authorities and (b) regional assemblies (i) have received and (ii) will receive planning grants in 2003–04; what (A) methodology and (B) consultation is being used by his Department concerning its distribution; what funds will be allocated for planning in 2004–05; and for what reason this grant is not ring fenced.

Keith Hill: The recipients of planning delivery grant in 2003–04 were all district, unitary, metropolitan district and London borough councils, all national park authorities, all regional planning bodies, together with the common council of the City of London, the council of the Isles of Scilly, the Broads authority and the Greater London Authority. Their grant for 2003–04 has been paid in full.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister set out the methodology for the distribution of the grant in a letter sent on 10 February 2003 to hon. Members. I have sent a further copy of that letter to the hon. Member. Before the announcement of the allocations was made, we consulted key stakeholders about the method of distribution.
	The amount of planning delivery grant to be allocated in 2004–05 is £130 million.
	The planning delivery grant is not ring fenced in line with our general policy on grants to local government whereby local authorities are free to consider how best to deliver outcomes. In the case of the planning delivery grant, there is an incentive to spend the grant on planning services because further allocations will only be made if planning performance continues to improve.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he expects implementation of the alcohol harm reduction strategy for England to begin.

Hazel Blears: The Government made a commitment in the NHS Plan to begin implementing an alcohol harm reduction strategy for England in 2004, and we are on course to achieve that target.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Antisocial Behaviour Orders were served in the Wycombe constituency in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Hazel Blears: From 1 April 1999 up to 31 May 2000 information on the numbers of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) was collected by police force area (pfa) on the numbers issued only. From 1 June 2000 up to 30 June 2003, latest available, data was collected by magistrates courts committee (MCC) area on the number granted and refused and from copies of the orders we have been able to identify local government authority (lga) areas involved.
	The number of notifications received by the Home Office of ASBOs issued within the Wycombe lga, in which the Wycombe constituency is situated, from 1 June 2000 up to 30 June 2003 is two. One order was issued in 2000 and one order was issued in 2001.

Asylum

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the initial salary payable to initial decision makers in asylum applications is; and how long the period of training is;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase and improve the salaries and training of initial decision makers in asylum cases.

Beverley Hughes: The vast majority of initial decisions in asylum applications are made by Executive Officers. The initial salary of an executive officer is not less than £15,557 nationally. In London rates are higher and staff also receive a locational allowance. Pay levels are reviewed each year, and in addition, all fully effective and exceptionally effective staff receive a performance related progression increase. The Department has proposed increasing the initial salary to a minimum of £16,606 nationally with effect from 1 January 2004 and is also considering increases to locational allowances. All new initial decision makers in asylum applications receive intensive training, comprising an initial 11 day course on all aspects of asylum work, 13 days in a special mentoring unit, and a three day intensive interviewing course (which is followed up by a consolidation workshop after three months in post). All asylum decision makers receive continual support and mentoring from more experienced colleagues in a team working environment where the sharing and pooling of acquired expertise is actively encouraged. They also receive any additional training or mentoring necessitated by changes in legislation and procedures, and attend developmental presentations or seminars provided by organisations such as UNHCR and the Medical Foundation. The effectiveness of training is regularly evaluated to ensure it continues to match their induction and development needs.

Asylum

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with Scottish ministers concerning the impact on the Scottish Legal Aid Board of his asylum policies.

Beverley Hughes: Legal aid is a devolved function and it is for Scottish Ministers to decide how to address Scotland's needs in line with the overall UK policy on asylum. There have been no formal discussions with Scottish Ministers on this matter, although officials keep in touch with developments on both sides of the border.

Asylum

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from established churches in Scotland concerning his policy in relation to the detention of families with children in removal centres.

Beverley Hughes: Over the last few months we have received representations from both the Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland about the detention of families with children in removal centres.
	The Bishop of Paisley made written representations in March and April, and I met with representatives of the Church and Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland at the end of October.

Asylum

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals from immigrants based on their being either a victim of crime or fear of being a victim of crime in their own country where the effective rule of law is uncertain are outstanding; and how many there were in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: I regret that the information requested is unavailable and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
	Information on the number of such appeals awaiting determination, relating to cases based on the appellant being either a victim of crime or their having fear of being a victim of crime in their own country where the effective rule of law is uncertain, is not compiled.
	Statistics on the number of asylum appeals awaiting determination are published quarterly. The most recent publication covering the third quarter of 2003 is now available from the Library of the House or on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants in each of the last five years for which figures are available were accompanied by dependants under the age of 18.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records. The latest published figures (Asylum Statistics 2001) show estimates of between 13 per cent. in 1998 and 14 per cent. in 2001 of principal applicants had one or more dependants.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication will be available at the end of February 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether children of failed asylum seekers are entitled to free education in the state system.

Beverley Hughes: It is a fundamental legal duty of local education authorities to ensure that education is available for all children of compulsory school age in their area appropriate to age, abilities and aptitudes and any special education needs they may have. This duty applies irrespective of a child's immigration status or rights of residence in a particular location. Children of failed asylum seekers are therefore entitled to attend school for as long as the family remain in the UK.

Community Safety Accreditation

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use has been made by chief officers of police of accreditations under community safety accreditation schemes under section 41 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

Hazel Blears: In total, six forces have used powers under section 41 of the Police Reform Act. Five forces have accredited 16 Vehicle Inspectors employed by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA). The inspectors have been issued with the power to stop vehicles for the purpose of testing. This allows them to test vehicles without police assistance and so frees police officers to focus on other tasks. The five forces are Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester, Northumbria, North Wales and Staffordshire.
	In addition, Hampshire Police have accredited five employees of Southampton City Council, to enable them to be more effective in dealing with anti-social behaviour. Hampshire police received £20,000 central funding from the Home Office to help with the project costs of setting the scheme up.
	The Home Office has allocated a total of £450,000 funding to 21 pathfinder forces (including Hampshire) in this financial year to assist them with setting up community safety accreditation schemes. The funded schemes will accredit those already conducting patrols in communities to enhance the reassurance that these staff provide and make them more effective in dealing with anti-social behaviour. Forces involved in the first tranche of schemes in this first phase of accreditation are mainly intending to accredit wardens employed in or by local authorities.

Community Support Officers

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to police forces about the insignia on policy community support officers' uniforms which describes their role; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The uniform and insignia worn by Community Support Officers is a matter for the Chief Officers of individual police forces. The Home Office's guidance document, available on the police reform web site, states that CSOs' uniforms should make them 'recognisable as such' so as not to confuse the public.
	However, many police forces have employees who are designated as both CSOs and appointed as Traffic Wardens. In line with the Home Office circular 065/2002, forces have labelled these CSOs' uniforms with the word 'Traffic'.

Community Support Officers

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase funding to the West Midlands Police for the expansion of the police community support officers for (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) 2006–07; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: By the end of the 2003–04 financial year, the Home Office will be funding 2457 CSOs across 38 police forces. 40 of these are in the West Midlands Police area. These were provided for in the second CSO bidding round (2003–04). West Midlands Police did not put forward a bid in the first round (2002–03).
	Across England and Wales, a further 454 CSOs have been funded from other sources, including 21 in the West Midlands.
	In 2004–05 the West Midlands Police, along with other forces in England and Wales, will be invited to bid in a third CSO funding round. This round will provide 50 per cent of funding for salary and direct on costs.
	Final decisions about funding for future years, beyond 2004–05, have yet to be taken.

Crimestoppers

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will guarantee the grant for Crimestoppers for the next four years.

Hazel Blears: The Government believes that Crimestoppers is a highly effective organisation that gathers vital intelligence for the Police and other law enforcement agencies. As laid out in the 1998 Compact on relations with the Voluntary and Community Sector, the Government recognises that continuity of funding is important to voluntary organisations and takes this into account where possible.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what additional payments have been made to Capita in respect of amendments and modifications to the Criminal Records Bureau computer system in each financial year since the project began;
	(2)  what the unit cost of a Criminal Records Bureau (a) standard and (b) enhanced disclosure is for each application route.

Hazel Blears: Additional payments in respect of amendments to computer systems in each financial year are as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2001–02 10,590,581 
			 2002–03 541,789 
			 2003(24) 594,200 
		
	
	(24) To date.
	Based on the projections in the Criminal Records Bureaus (CRB) Corporate and Business Plans 2003–04 the individual unit costs are estimated as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 Standard paper 25 
			 Standard telephone 20 
			 Enhanced paper 31 
			 Enhanced telephone 26 
		
	
	Standard and Enhanced Disclosures are issued free of charge to volunteers.
	There have been no subsequent developments, which would suggest these costs are now materially different.

Criminal Records Bureau

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  for what reasons the Criminal Records Bureau has further increased its fees;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations on the implications of fee increases by the Criminal Records Bureau on voluntary, community and charitable organisations.

Hazel Blears: We announced on 1 December that the fee charged by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) for a Standard Disclosure will rise from £24 to £28 and that for an Enhanced Disclosure from £29 to £33. These increases will take effect from 1 April 2004.
	We have always made it clear that the CRB would be self-financed through the fees charged for providing the Disclosure service, and that the fee levels would be regularly reviewed. When the last fee increase was announced in June 2003, we re-affirmed the requirement that the CRB should be self-financing in the medium term—that is, from 2005–06 onwards. The CRB continues to make efficiency savings. However, as the CRB moves towards full cost recovery, it is necessary to reduce the substantial subsidy that the CRB currently receives from the general taxpayer and to make a compensating increase in the Disclosure fee.
	Disclosures continue to be issued free to volunteers, saving the voluntary sector some £12 million in 2004–05. We have had no discussions with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) specifically on the latest fee increase. But we agreed earlier to meet representatives of the NCVO to discuss its concerns about the previous fee increase, amongst other issues. In addition, the NCVO is represented on the CRB Voluntary and Community Sector Working Group which provides a forum to raise any CRB-related issues affecting the sector.

Criminal Records Bureau

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the costs of Criminal Records Bureau checks for (a) care homes and (b) voluntary organisations.

Hazel Blears: Criminal Records Bureau checks are free for volunteers, saving the voluntary sector some £10 million in 2003–04. In other cases, responsibility for paying the fee rests primarily with individual applicants, although it is open to the employer to reimburse the cost. Since 1 July 2003, the fees for an Enhanced and Standard Disclosure have been £29 and £24 respectively; I announced on 1 December 2003, Official Report, column 51–52WS the fees to apply from 1 April 2004. The total revenue from fees in 2003–04 is estimated to be £47 million. No detailed breakdown is available of the proportion of Disclosure applications, which come from each sector.

Emergency Services (Hoax Calls)

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hoax calls to (a) the emergency services and (b) the fire service there were in each of the last three years in (i) Bolton, (ii) the North West and (iii) the UK.

Nick Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.
	The following information is available in relation to the fire service:
	
		
			  2000 (25)2001 (25)2002 
		
		
			 Bolton 815 1,005 700 
			 North West(26) 11,672 11,489 10,639 
			 United Kingdom(26) 74,086 74,134 67,060 
		
	
	(25) Provisional
	(26) Includes estimates for incidents not recorded in November 2002 during industrial action
	Information about the number of hoax calls received by the police and ambulance services is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate expects to reach a decision in the case of Mr. S. S. of Aylesbury (ref.S108 1532/8).

Beverley Hughes: A decision was made on 25 November to grant him leave to remain here.

Immigration

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of (a) lorries and (b) other vehicles passing through Calais and Coquelles en route to the UK were not checked for purposes of seeking to discover illegal immigrants over the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The Calais port operator (Calais Chamber of Commerce) check 100 per cent of freight vehicles passing through Calais (approximately 2,500 per day) either by Passive Millimetric Wave Imagers (PMMWs), carbon dioxide or heartbeat detectors. Additional checks are also carried out by ferry operators and French customs. All other vehicles such as private cars and vans are systematically checked by the ferry operator before boarding.
	We are unable to say what proportion of vehicles (approximately 2,000 per day) are checked by Euro-tunnel at Coquelles prior to boarding. Immigration Service search teams exercising their powers under the Immigration Act currently carry out targeted and intelligence-led searches of UK bound freight and other vehicles within the British Control Zone at Coquelles.

Migrant Workers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government will ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families.

Beverley Hughes: The Government has no plans to sign and ratify the UN Convention on the protection of rights of migrant workers and their families.
	We believe that the United Kingdom has struck the right balance between the need for immigration control and the protection of the interests and rights of migrant workers and their families. The rights of migrant workers and their families are protected in UK legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998, and the UK's existing commitments under international law.

National Policing Targets

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the ways in which the National Intelligence Model is used to inform the setting of national policing targets.

Hazel Blears: The National Policing Plan sets out the Government's key priorities for the police service describes the National Intelligence Model as the principal operational tool available to deliver those priorities. The National Policing Plan requires all forces to implement the National Intelligence Model to commonly accepted minimum standards by April 2004. Forces are currently at different stages of implementation.
	The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) UK Threat Assessment and the National Policing Plan establish national priorities for the Police Service. The National Intelligence Model is applied by police forces to operationalise those priorities at national, regional and local levels. As the Model becomes established in forces, strategic assessments at Basic Command Unit and force level can be expected to inform the assessments made at regional, and ultimately at national, level.

Police

Stephen Dorrell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed officers were employed by the Leicestershire Police Service at 5 April in each year from 1997 to 2003.

Hazel Blears: Police strength information does not differentiate between uniformed and plain clothed officers. The information requested (to the nearest available date) is set out in the table. On 31 August Leicestershire Constabulary had record strength of 2,159 officers, which is 210 more than in March 1997.
	
		Leicestershire Constabulary
		
			  Police officers(27) Police staff(27) 
		
		
			 31 March 1997 1,949 755 
			 31 March 1998 1,983 774 
			 31 March 1999 1,993 802 
			 31 March 2000 1,993 805 
			 31 March 2001 2,033 806 
			 31 March 2002 2,100 816 
			 31 March 2003 2,114 934 
			 31 August 2003 2,159 n/a 
		
	
	(27) Data are for full-time equivalent strength

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Merseyside Police have (a) closed premises that are being used for drug dealing or use causing disorder or serious nuisance, (b) issued penalty notices for truancy, (c) designated an area with a history of anti-social behaviour, allowing them to disperse groups causing intimidation and take home children who are out on streets late at night, (d) used the new controls to tackle the misuse of air weapons and replica guns, (e) used their new powers for dealing with public assemblies and trespassers, (f) used their new power to move on trespassing encampments where a relevant site is available, (g) used their new powers to intervene in neighbourly disputes regarding high hedges, (h) issued penalty notices to 16 and 17 year olds for disorder and (i) used their extended stop and search powers where reasonable suspicion is held that articles made, adapted or intended for use in offences of criminal damage are being carried.

Hazel Blears: These powers are contained within the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 which both received Royal Assent on 20 November 2003. The powers are not yet available to the police—they will be commenced during 2004.

Police

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is of recruiting and training a police officer.

Hazel Blears: The recruitment of police officers is the responsibility of the Chief Officer of each force. No central records are kept of the average cost across the police service of recruiting and training a police officer in England and Wales.
	When rates of payment to be made under the Crime Fighting Fund in 2000–01 were agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities, £1,000 was included for recruitment and £7,000 for the initial residential training for each new recruit. These payments have been up-rated annually to £1,082 and £10,000 respectively per recruit in 2003–04.

Police

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those police forces in which authorisations under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 are in place; and which of these areas have been subject to rolling monthly authorisations during 2003.

David Blunkett: There are currently 14 section 44 authorisations in place. However, the publicising of the use of the powers in any particular area is an operational decision for the force concerned. Any decision to publicise the fact that the powers are being used would be made in light of the operational objective, and mindful of the need to ensure that the information released cannot be exploited by those intent on committing acts of terrorism.
	Each authorisation is given full consideration and confirmed only if I am satisfied that their use is expedient to prevent acts of terrorism as set against the background of the current threat level.

Police

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the United Kingdom police officers that will be deployed in Iraq are from the West Midlands police force; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I understand that no officers from West Midlands Police are deployed in Iraq at present. West Midlands Police are contributing generously to international peacekeeping efforts elsewhere.

Police

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the 2002 police pay settlement in reducing rates of police overtime.

Hazel Blears: The 2002 settlement included a provision to reduce expenditure on police overtime by 15 per cent. by March 2006. The provision came into effect on 1 April 2003. Forces will be providing information to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of (HMIC) Constabulary on expenditure on overtime as part of the arrangements for monitoring progress against the target and HMIC will report on an annual basis.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have retired from (a) Suffolk Constabulary, (b) Norfolk Constabulary, (c) Essex Police Force and (d) Cambridgeshire Constabulary in each of the last five years; and what the national average age of retirement was in each year.

Hazel Blears: The number of police officers who have retired in each of the last five years from each force is given in the table.
	
		Police retirements: ordinary and medical
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			  Cambridgeshire46 38 43 44 44 
			 Essex 101 124 99 104 90 
			 Norfolk 47 45 49 51 65 
			 Suffolk 44 37 52 36 46 
		
	
	Information on the national average retirement age of police officers is not held centrally and not readily available locally. However the information for Suffolk is as follows.
	
		Suffolk: average retirement age of police officers
		
			  Average age 
		
		
			 1998–99 47.06 
			 1999–2000 49.85 
			 2000–01 49.36 
			 2001–02 48.51 
			 2002–03 51.71

Police

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been made available to Gwent Police since 1997; how many police officers there were in the Gwent Force in each year since 1997; and what the expected number of police officers in the Gwent Force is in each of the next two years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is set out in the table. Gwent Police had record police strength at the end of August 2003. The balance between police officers and police staff and other resources, such as IT systems, in the Gwent Police is a matter for the Chief Constable. It is not therefore possible to estimate the number of police officers that Gwent Police will have Over the next two years. I understand that Gwent Police has forecast strength for 31 March 2004 at 1,357.
	The provisional police funding settlement for 2004–05 will give Gwent Police Authority a Government funding allocation of £71.8 million, an increase of 3.25 per cent over 2003–04. It is for the Police Authority to set the budget.
	
		Gwent Police: Funding, Police strength and police staff strength 1997 to 2003
		
			 Year(as at 31 March) Force budget£ million Police officer strength Police (support) staff strength 
		
		
			 1996–97 62.6 1,243 452 
			 1997–98 64.6 1,233 477 
			 1998–99 66.9 1,247 487 
			 1999–2000 71.4 1,264 498 
			 2000–01 76.1 1,274 537 
			 2001–02 80.7 1,333 570 
			 2002–03 84.4 1,341 607 
			 2003–04 92.0 1,342(28) Not available 
		
	
	(28) Police strength as at 31 August 2003

Police

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pupils (a) applied to join and (b) were enlisted as members of Thames Valley Police Force in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 11 December 2003
	Neither the Home Office nor Thames Valley Police Force record the number of applications received from pupils to join Thames Valley Police Force record the number of applications received form pupils to join Thames Valley Police Force.
	Police recruits need to be of a minimum age of 18½ when they join a police force in England and Wales.

Security Industry Authority Pilot Scheme

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licensed door supervisors he expects to participate in the Security Industry Authority Pilot Scheme in Hampshire commencing in March 2004; and what target complement he has set.

Hazel Blears: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) anticipates that some 2,500 door supervisors will apply to be licensed during the course of the pilot in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, commencing in March 2004. This figure is necessarily a best estimate as not all local authorities in the pilot area have existing local registration schemes, and those that do, do not always include all door supervisors working in the local authority's area.
	There are no overall complement levels set, as the demand for door supervisors is to a large extent market led. However, it is anticipated that some local authorities may set minimum complement levels for individual premises as a condition of their licence to operate under the Licensing Act 2003, and this will have an impact on the number of SIA licence applications.

Weapons

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) handguns, (b) rifles, (c) shotguns and (d) air weapons which have been used in crime have been recovered in each of the last five years; and how many of each had been previously or were at the time legally owned.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 15 December 2003
	This information is not currently available in the form requested. The National Firearms Forensic Intelligence Database launched last month will provide a central database of seized weapons and help trace guns used in crimes and improve detection.

Weapons

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gas cartridge air weapons have been handed in under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003; and how many applications have been made for firearm certificates by owners of such weapons under the provisions of the Act.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 December 2003
	None. The legislation is not yet in force. We are aiming to commence the relevant provisions on 20 January when it will become an offence to manufacture, sell, purchase, acquire or transfer any air weapon using a self-contained gas cartridge system. Existing owners will have a further period of three months in which to apply for a firearms certificate or to dispose of the weapon.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Payment Books

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of benefit payment order books in use in each category of benefit at (a) 1 April 2002, (b) 1 April 2003 and (c) the most recent available date.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:
	
		Breakdown of claimants receiving their payment by means of benefit payment order book
		
			 Benefit Position as atJune 2002(29) Position as at March 2003(30) Position as at1 November 2003(31) 
		
		
			 State Pension (SP), Widows Benefit (WB) and Bereavement Benefit 4,811,063 4,616,964 4,280,487 
			 Incapacity Benefit (Incap) 843,142 803,494 717,126 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 83,959 79,359 72,414 
			 Income Support (IS) 1,740,655 1,698,052 1,516,248 
			 Disability Living Allowance 1,143,393 1,144,202 1,065,636 
			 Carers Allowance 310,684 309,750 298,089 
			 Attendance Allowance 179,426 180,791 170,552 
			 Industrial Injury, Death and Disability Benefit 302,798 315,046 284,360 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) 0 0 0 
			 Minimum Income Guarantee (MiG)/Pension Credit (PC) 1,344,723 1,360,994 1,420,036 
		
	
	(29) 2002: Figures for State Pension (SP), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA), Widow's Benefit (WB), and Bereavement Benefit (BB) are up to 3 June 2002; Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), Income Support (IS) and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) figures up to 15 June 2002, Industrial Injuries (II) up to 8 June 2002, Carers Allowance (CA) (previously Invalid Care Allowance), Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) figures up to 18
	May 2002.
	(30) 2003: Figures for State Pension (SP), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA), Widow's Benefit (WB), and Bereavement Benefit (BB) are up to 22 March 2003; Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), Income Support (IS) and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) figures up to 21 March 2003, Industrial Injuries (II) up to 14 March 2003, Carers Allowance (CA) (previously Invalid Care Allowance), Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) figures up to 8 March 2003.
	(31) Latest available: Figures for State Pension (SP), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA), Widow's Benefit (WB), and Bereavement Benefit (BB) are up to 25 October 2003; Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), Income Support (IS) and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) figures up to 31 October 2003, Industrial Injuries (II) up to 24 October 2003, Carers Allowance (CA) (previously Invalid Care Allowance) up to 30 June 2003, Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) figures up to 18 October 2003.
	Notes:
	1. The above figures are payload not caseload figures therefore, a claimant may be counted more than once if they are on several benefits.
	2. If a claimant is receiving one combined payment through the Income Support system for both PC and SP they will only be shown on MIG and not on SP.
	3. Figures quoted are for GB only.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre, Information and Analysis Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.

Child Support Payments (North-west)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average sum paid (a) in child support payments and (b) in child benefit to families in (i) St. Helens, (ii) Merseyside and (c) the north west region was in each year since 1992.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.
	
		Average sum paid in child support payments in St. Helens, Merseyside, and north west region as at end of February quarter -- £
		
			  Average amount per week 
			 Quarter ending St. Helens Merseyside North west 
		
		
			 29 Feb 2000 23.14 21.60 23.94 
			 28 Feb 2001 26.11 24.19 24.68 
			 28 Feb 2002 27.00 25.66 26.27 
			 28 Feb2003 30.01 28.55 27.65 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures include full maintenance assessment cases only and exclude direct pay cases and zero assessments. Therefore, figures include only fully, partial and nil compliant cases.
	2. Figures produced using 5 per cent. scan of Child Support Computer System (CSCS) and therefore may be subject to sampling variation.
	
		Average sum paid in child benefit in St. Helens, Merseyside, and North West region as at 30 August -- £
		
			  Average amount per week 
			  St. Helens Merseyside North West 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1999 21.09 21.83 21.80 
			 2000 21.97 22.62 22.63 
			 2001 22.41 22.95 23.02 
			 2002 22.55 23.09 23.18 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 100 per cent. sample
	2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest five

Cold Weather Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments have been made in each of the last six years, (a) in total and (b) broken down by region; and what the real terms expenditure on those payments was in each case.

Chris Pond: The information is in the table. A breakdown by region would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number awarded Amount awarded Amount awarded 
			   Cash terms(£ million) Real terms(£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 55,000 0.47 0.53 
			 1998–99 26,000 0.22 0.24 
			 1999–2000 114,000 0.97 1.04 
			 2000–01 3,535,000 30.05 31.69 
			 2001–02 1,804,000 15.33 15.77 
			 2002–03 1,675,000 14.24 14.24 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Real terms expenditure has been calculated using the GDP deflator released on 11 December 2003 and is based on 2002–03 prices
	2. The numbers awarded have been rounded to the nearest 1,000 and the amounts awarded to the nearest £0.01 million.

Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the hon. Member for Christchurch will receive a reply to his inquiries on behalf of Mrs. Pitson about the Child Support Agency.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 16 December 2003
	In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked when you will receive a reply to your inquiry on behalf of Mrs Pitson about the Child Support Agency.
	Our records show that the last time you wrote to the Agency in respect of Mrs Pitson was the 10 October 2003, I subsequently replied on the 19 November 2003.

Industrial Injuries

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the further research recommended by the Industrial Injuries Council into risk of upper limb disorders in specific occupations to be completed.

Des Browne: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (MAC) has monitored the scientific literature in relation to Work Related Upper Limb Disorders since its last report in 1992, and has decided that there is now sufficient new evidence that it should conduct a further review of the subject.
	The review is still in its early stages. 11 AC plans to continue its research and consultation with experts during the spring and summer of 2004 and to complete its review in the first half of 2005.

Occupational Deafness

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases lodged before the Medical Appeals Tribunal in 2002–03 concerned occupational deafness; and how many were successful.

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Mahmood, dated 16 December 2003
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the number of cases lodged before Medical Appeal Tribunals in 2002–03 concerning occupational deafness.
	Appeals tribunals succeeded Medical Appeal Tribunals in 1999. The attached table shows the number of appeals lodged, those cleared at hearing and the number found in favour of the appellant. I hope this reply is helpful.
	
		Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) appeals due to Occupational Deafness in the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003
		
			  Lodged Cleared at hearing Found in favour of the appellant 
		
		
			 All Appeals 242,510 178,350 80,815 
			 All IIDB appeals 18,355 15,860 6,140 
			 IIDB occupational deafness appeals 395 355 70 
		
	
	Notes:
	All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Parents with Care

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the (a) monetary value and (b) percentage of maintenance that was paid to Child Support Agency parents with care in receipt of (i) income based jobseeker's allowance and income support and (ii) working families tax credit in each of the last six years.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
	
		Child Maintenance paid to parents with care who are in receipt of Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (IB) and Working Families Tax Credit: 1 March 2000 to 28 February 2003
		
			  Total maintenance paid Maintenance paid to IS/JSA(IB)PWCs Maintenance paid to WFTC PWCs 
			  £ million £ million Percentage £ million Percentage 
		
		
			 1 Mar 2000 to 28 February 2001 480.1 142.0 29.6 154.0 32.1 
			 1 Mar 2001 to 28 February 2002 514.2 137.8 26.8 180.3 35.1 
			 1 March 2002 to 28 February 2003 554.9 137.7 24.8 205.3 37.0 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Figures are for full maintenance assessments only.
	2. Figures produced using 5 per cent. scan of Child Support Computer System (CSCS).
	3. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore may be subject to sampling variation.
	4. Maintenance paid is in millions and is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.

Pension Credit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receiving housing and council tax benefit became entitled to pension credit in October; and of that number how many received an increase in their housing and council tax benefit entitlement to reflect the increased thresholds for these benefits.

Chris Pond: The information is not available. However, we estimate that some 1.9 million pensioner households stand to get more help, or help for the first time, through housing benefit and council tax benefit as a result of the introduction of pension credit.

Pension Credit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether pension credit counts as income when assessing housing and council tax benefit.

Chris Pond: Whether pension credit is taken into account when assessing housing benefit and council tax benefit depends on which elements of pension credit are in payment.
	A person in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit, or both the guarantee and the savings credit elements of pension credit, has all of their income and capital disregarded for the purposes of housing benefit and council tax benefit. If a person is in receipt of the savings credit element only, then the amount of the savings credit is taken into account as income in the housing benefit or council tax benefit assessment.
	However, in October 2003, the applicable amounts in housing benefit and council tax benefit, for people aged 65 and over (or who have partners aged 65 and over) were increased to reflect the maximum savings credit people could get. This ensures that, although the savings credit is taken into account as income, the resulting reduction in their housing benefit or council tax is less than their gains due to receipt of the savings credit.

Pension Payments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have decided not to change over to payment of their pensions into bank accounts or Post Office card accounts.

Chris Pond: As at 14 November 2003, over 1.3 million Pension Service customers have been invited to convert to direct payment. Of these, only 2.98 per cent. (39,016) have actively indicated that, at this stage, payment into a bank, building society or Post Office card account is not their preferred option.
	Key figures on the progress of conversion to direct payment are available in the Library updated every four weeks.

State Pension

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department intends to help lower earners build up their entitlement to the state pension.

Malcolm Wicks: There are already a number of measures in place to help lower earners build up their entitlement to state pension.
	Employees who earn above the lower earnings limit (LEL) but less than the lower earnings threshold (LET) are treated as having earnings at the LET. Certain carers and people who are disabled or long-term ill who earn less than the LET, including those with no earnings at all, are also treated as having earnings at the LET. Because the LET is set at a higher amount than the LEL, some employees do not have to pay national insurance contributions (NICs) but are treated as if they have paid them. This means that they continue to build up entitlement to contributory benefits such as state pension and incapacity benefit even though they are not paying NICs.
	In addition, people with earnings below the level at which they are treated as paying NICs or no earnings can have their state pension entitlement protected by home responsibilities protection (HRP). HRP helps to protect the basic state pension position of people whose opportunities to work are limited because of caring responsibilities at home. It is available to eligible people for complete tax years and reduces the number of qualifying years they would otherwise need for a basic state pension.
	Also, recipients of working tax credit whose earnings are below the level at which they are treated as paying NICs can be credited with contributions for state pension purposes.
	Further, the state second pension focuses help on those with low to moderate earnings and on qualifying carers and long term-disabled people who have broken work records. 20 million people have started to benefit from the reform of state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS) through the state second pension, introduced in April 2002. Low earners will get at least double what they would have got from SERPS, while carers and disabled people with broken work records will be entitled to an additional state pension for the first time.

HEALTH

Smoking

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths were related to smoking in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Melanie Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The Health Education Authority 1998 report, "The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995", estimated that in the United Kingdom in 1995, smoking caused more than 120,000 deaths of people aged 35 years or more. A copy of this report is available in the Library.

"Valuing People"

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will fund the service improvements for adults with learning disabilities set out in the White Paper, Valuing People.

Stephen Ladyman: "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (Cm 5086), announced the creation of two new funds to support its priorities, the Implementation Support Fund from April 2001 and the Learning Disability Development Fund from April 2002. Our annual report on learning disability, Making Change Happen (HC 514), published in April 2003, announced that the Support Fund would continue until March 2006; the Development Fund will also continue until March 2006.
	In addition, over £3 billion a year is spent on health and social care provision for people with learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities also use mainstream health and social care services and benefit from increased expenditure on those services.

Agenda for Change

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings he has had with the Business Services Association to discuss Agenda for Change; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Officials have met the Business Services Association to discuss issues arising from the new national health service pay system. Pay, terms and conditions for staff in contracted-out services will depend on the nature of transfer agreements and any subsequent agreements reached between the organisations concerned and their employees, but the Department welcomes the opportunity to share views on workforce issues with the independent sector.

Assisted Conception Units

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been conceived in licensed assisted conception units using donated gametes; how many children have been unable to receive information on their genetic origins since July when donor anonymity was to have been lifted; how many children were made the subject of an adoption order and a Section 30 parental order since July; and when the Government will announce its conclusions on donor anonymity.

Melanie Johnson: Nearly 25,000 children have been conceived in licensed assisted conception units as a result of treatment using donated gametes and embryos since August 1991, when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's register of such births began. After a public consultation exercise in 2002, we announced in January 2003 that we would carry out a further programme of work on the possibility of providing of identifying information about future sperm, egg and embryo donors, and make a further announcement after that. We expect to make a decision on this shortly.
	In the region of 800 children have been born as a result of licensed infertility treatment using donated gametes or embryos since 1 July 2003. Over that period, the Registrar General has received 2,336 adoption orders and 27 parental orders under section 30 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Brachytherapy Treatment

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy that every patient recommended by an NHS consultant for brachytherapy treatment has the treatment funded by a primary care trust;
	(2)  what the Government's policy on the funding of brachytherapy treatment by the national health service is.

Melanie Johnson: The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance on the organisation and delivery of services for people with urological cancers, including prostate cancer, in September 2002. The guidance states that the option of brachytherapy should be discussed with men with early prostate cancer.
	However, the NICE guidance also acknowledges that, the place of brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer is uncertain and notes the importance of research to evaluate the effectiveness of brachytherapy for prostate cancer. The guidance refers to a randomised intergroup trial comparing brachytherapy with radical surgery that is being organised by the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, and strongly encourages UK participation in this study. As a result, the Department of Health has made available £900,000 through the National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) to enable national health service patients to enter this trial. The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) prostate cancer clinical studies group and the NCRN are working closely together to take this trial forward in the NHS.
	As more evidence on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of brachytherapy becomes available, the Department will consider whether this treatment is a suitable topic for referral to NICE as a technology appraisal. The Government are devolving power from the centre to enable primary care trusts to use the extra resources for the NHS to deliver on both national and local priorities for their communities, accounting publicly for how they have used them.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the reasons why the UK has lower survival rates for breast cancer than other EU countries.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 4 December 2003
	Comparable statistics on cancer survival in the United Kingdom and most other European Union countries have been produced in three studies funded by the European Commission (the EUROCARE studies). Cancer registries in the UK, including staff from the National Registry at the Office for National Statistics, have been involved in these studies since they began in 1989.
	The recently published findings of the EUROCARE 3 study, covering patients diagnosed in 1990–94, showed that cancer survival rates in England, in general, lag behind those in Europe. However, the study also shows that the gap in survival rates between England and other comparable countries is now beginning to diminish. For patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1990s, differences in the stage at diagnosis were a key explanation for the differences in survival between Western European countries.
	It is important to note that these studies predate the introduction of the NHS Cancer Plan by more than five years. The improvements in waiting times, treatment and the introduction of specialist teams for breast cancer patients now being delivered by the NHS Cancer Plan will help to ensure survival rates for breast cancer patients continue to improve. Indeed, Cancer Research UK have noted that in the past decade British women have had the worlds biggest decrease in deaths from breast cancer thanks to better diagnosis and treatment. Indeed, deaths from breast cancer among the under 70s have decreased more sharply in Britain than anywhere in the world, by 30 per cent., in the last 10 years.

Cancer Care

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he proposes to tackle the shortfall in trained (a) oncologists, (b) radiographers and (c) physicists.

John Hutton: Since 1997, there has been a 28 per cent. increase in the number of consultants in clinical oncology and a 98 per cent. increase in the number of consultants in medical oncology.
	In 2003–04, central funding has been provided to support the implementation of six centrally funded training places in clinical oncology and six in medical oncology. Trusts have also been given the opportunity to create up to 14 additional locally funded training places in clinical oncology and 11 in medical oncology.
	The table shows the number of clinical and medical oncologists working in the national health service between September 1997-June 2003.
	The Department is committed to increasing the number of training places for radiographers and medical physicists; between 1996–97 and 2002–03, the number of training commissions for radiography have increased by 107 per cent. to 1,223. Separate information on the number of training places for medical physicists has only been collected sine 2002–03; latest plans show that work force development confederations (WDCs) expect to increase the number of training places by around 16 per cent. There is a range of recruitment, retention and returner initiatives in place to further increase the national health service work force, including radiographers and medical physicists.
	The cancer care group work force team, which is a multi-disciplinary body, supports the delivery of improvements in patient services through innovative, integrated, care-centred work force development. It is an expert advisory body with representation from WDCs, the Modernisation Agency, health and social care professionals, education and training organisations, and patients and service users.
	Its task is to recommend practical ways of providing the workforce needed to deliver improved services, in the right numbers, with the right skills and in the right place, taking into particular account recent and future policy initiatives.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Hospital medical staff in clinical and medical oncology—England(32) -- Number (headcount)
		
			  Clinical oncology Medical oncology 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997   
			 All 647 271 
			 Consultants 287 89 
			
			 1998   
			 All 676 327 
			 Consultants 299 102 
			
			 1999   
			 All 698 375 
			 Consultants 305 110 
			
			 2000   
			 All 711 404 
			 Consultants 307 133 
			
			 2001   
			 All 776 435 
			 Consultants 333 147 
			
			 2002   
			 All 785 504 
			 Consultants 315 185 
			
			 June 2003   
			 All (33)— (33)— 
			 Consultants 367 176 
		
	
	(32) Data as at 30 September each year, except for 2003, where data as at 30 June.
	(33) Not available. Data for June 2003 is taken from the mini census which collected consultants only.
	Source:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.

Cancer Care

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to ensure the replacement of radiotherapy equipment over 10 years old;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on investment in (a) staff and (b) machines for radiotherapy delivery.

Melanie Johnson: The NHS Cancer Plan committed the national health service to maintaining a modern stock of linear accelerators for radiotherapy treatment of no older than 11 years. The NHS Plan and NHS Cancer Plan made a commitment for 20 replacement and 25 additional new linear accelerators as well as for 50 additional computed tomography (CT) scanners and 50 additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to be installed in the NHS by 2004. Funding for the linear accelerators was announced in July 2002. On 22 May 2003, my right hon. Friend the Member for Darlington, (Mr. Milburn) announced the location of the majority of the CT and MRI scanners, and a further programme of replacement CT, MRI and linear accelerators over the next three years. This will mean that by the end of 2006, no CT or MRI scanner will be older than 10 years and no linear accelerator will be older than 11 years.
	Alongside the investment in equipment we are also increasing the numbers of staff working in radiotherapy departments and making better use of existing staff through role re-design and improved skill mix.

Cancer Services

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the two-month wait target from GP referral to first definitive treatment for (a) lung, (b) gynaecological, (c) colorectal and (d) urological cancers for each month over the last three years that were previously published on his Department's website.

Melanie Johnson: A two month waiting time target from urgent general practitioner referral to first treatment for lung, gynaecological, colorectal and urological cancers will be in place from 2005 and data will be published after the target is implemented. The cancer waiting times data referred to was published by the cancer service collaborative (CSC) on its own website as part of its monitoring of local cancer projects achievements and focused on 30 per cent. of cancer patients in services identified locally as those most in need of improvement. The CSC is currently developing a new more meaningful reporting system which will enable local teams to monitor their progress on delivering improvements to cancer patients using validated cancer waiting times data.

Care Homes

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many council-owned care home places have been transferred out of council ownership in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex, (d) Cambridgeshire and (e) England in each year since 2000.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not held by the Department. Information provided by the relevant councils on the numbers of council-owned care home places that have transferred out of council ownership in each year since 2000 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Council 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 (number of transfers in progress) 
		
		
			 Suffolk 0 0 280 89 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 480 200 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 140 300 0 0

Christmas Celebrations

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were in hospital over the Christmas period in each year since 1997; and what guidance is issued to the NHS on celebrating Christmas in hospitals.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of children in hospital at Christmas in each year since 1997 is shown in the table. Only children discharged within the same year have been counted. Those who are still in hospital on 1 April after Christmas are not included.
	
		Children in hospital at Christmas, age on admission 0–17 years. Date of admission on or before 25 December, date of discharge on or after 25 December
		
			 Count of in year discharges NHS hospitals, England1997–98 to 2002–03 Discharges 
		
		
			 1997–98 10,069 
			 1998–99 10,991 
			 1999–2000 10,491 
			 2000–01 10,026 
			 2001–02 10,202 
			 2002–03 10,439 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Discharges: A discharge episode is the last episode during a spell, where the patient is discharged from the hospital (this includes transfer to another hospital).
	2. Grossing: Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03 which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.
	Guidance on the treatment of children in hospital was issued in April in the form of the national service framework (NSF) for children on hospital standards. This is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/children/hospitalstandard.pdf. The NSF follows on from earlier guidance issued in 1991 on 'The Welfare of Children and Young People in Hospital'.
	In general, the cardinal principles underlying this guidance provide that:
	children are admitted to hospital only where the health care they require cannot be provided in their own home and community;
	when it is necessary to admit children to hospital, they are admitted for the shortest time possible, commensurate with the time necessary for treatment and recovery prior to discharge;
	the hospital environment is child friendly and hospital services take full account of childrens' needs for emotional support and recreation. These needs are of great importance in childhood, particularly at times like Christmas.

Coronary Care

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of external counter pulsation and enhanced external counter pulsation treatments for heart disease, with particular reference to angina pectoris;
	(2)  what research work he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on external counter pulsation; and what conclusions about its efficacy were drawn.

Melanie Johnson: External counter pulsation (ECP) is not routinely offered to patients with angina pectoris by the national health service. There is insufficient evidence currently available about its benefits to warrant its widespread use.
	The available literature on this procedure has been reviewed and it has been decided not to commission any research from the Department of Health.
	Although there is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the benefits of ECP, the evidence base is being monitored. Should improvements in the effectiveness of ECP be demonstrated, the position will be reviewed.

Coronary Care

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is given to health professionals about signs and symptoms consistent with underlying cardiac conditions that could cause unexpected death.

Melanie Johnson: Relatives of people who have died of sudden cardiac death, or who are diagnosed with one of the underlying conditions, should be screened because there is a genetic component in many of these cases.
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is currently reviewing guidance, issued in September 2000 to the National Health Service in England and Wales, on the use of implantable cardioverter defribrillators (ICDs). Current guidance already suggests that ICDs should be used, where clinically indicated, for patients with a familial cardiac condition with a high risk of sudden death, such as Long-QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Coronary Care

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) emotional and (b) practical support is provided to (i) patients who are diagnosed with a potentially fatal cardiac condition and (ii) their carers.

Melanie Johnson: Following a diagnosis of potentially fatal conditions, people can access a range of psychological therapies, which are available in every strategic health authority catchment area. The responsibility of referring patients to such services lies with the clinicians involved in their care.
	All trusts provide support for patients, relatives and staff through the chaplaincy service and associated community faith representatives. In November 2003, the Department published guidance material for managers and those involved in the provision of chaplaincy-spiritual care, "Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff".
	The new guidance sets out the contribution chaplaincy-spiritual care providers can make in directly supporting patients within the modern national health service. Meeting the varied emotional needs of such patients and of their carers is fundamental to the care provided by the NHS.
	Practical support available for those diagnosed with cardiac-related illness is also widely available. Where appropriate, patients are offered surgery, and no one currently waits more than nine months for heart surgery. Those diagnosed with heart failure are offered treatments to control their symptoms, improve their quality of life and slow disease progression. Patients may also be offered advice on how to make lifestyle changes, for example, smoking cessation or dietary advice, which will improve their quality of life and reduce the risks of their condition deteriorating.

Coronary Care

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is given to primary health care trusts to prevent those at risk from (a) sudden adult death syndrome and (b) arrhythmia death from being prescribed medications that may prove lethal to people whose hearts are sensitive to those substances and could cause them to die unexpectedly.

Melanie Johnson: The British National Formulary (BNF) provides United Kingdom healthcare professionals with authoritative and practical information on the selection and clinical use of medicines in a clear, concise and accessible manner.
	The BNF makes specific mention of drugs which have associated risk with arrhythmia death.

Coronary Care

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the British Heart Foundation study published 27 March, Urgent Call for Greater Research into So-Called Adult 'Cot Death'.

Melanie Johnson: The British Heart Foundation (BHF) study suggested that sudden cardiac death should be classed as a separate condition.
	We do not believe that sudden cardiac death should be classified as a syndrome in its own right. This is because it has many possible causes—neurological, metabolic or cardiac problems, or an underlying infection.
	The UK National Screening Committee has advised there is insufficient evidence to warrant a national screening programme for sudden cardiac death. This recommendation is based on a report produced in 1999 by Dr. Stuart Logan of the Institute for Child Health. Dr. Logan has now updated his report in the light of recent research and, after consideration of the report by the Child Health sub-committee, the position remains the same.
	The evidence base is due to be reviewed in March 2004.

Correspondence

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Barrow-in-Furness (Mr. Hutton), will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West of 3 September 2003; and what the reasons are for the delay in replying.

John Hutton: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 14 October 2003.

Delayed Discharges

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on delayed discharges in the Vale of York.

Melanie Johnson: Information available in the Library shows that, in quarter two of 2003–04, there were 47 patients in the Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) area whose transfer of care had been delayed.
	Joint working has been put in place at every level in the Selby and York PCT area to address the issue of delayed transfers of care. A number of joint schemes have been put in place to prevent inappropriate admission, support early discharge and to prevent unacceptable delays.
	The local authority in York has developed eight transitional care beds in the last year and Selby and York PCT is about to start a 24-hour district nursing service. By July 2004, there will be a new intermediate care facility in York providing a further 28 more appropriate placements for patients.

Diabetes

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent on healthcare professional education with regard to diabetes over the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect data at a level that allows the identification of the money that has been spent on healthcare professional education with regard to diabetes.

Diabetes

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions are being put in place to improve the overall competency of diabetes education of primary care and generalist staff; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The long-term conditions care group workforce team (LTCCGWT) was established two years ago. Part of its remit is to identify the workforce requirements for diabetes services. To help support this activity, the LTCCGWT in the summer of 2002, commissioned Skills for Health to develop competence frameworks for diabetes. The frameworks are intended to describe the quality of service a person with diabetes needs, whether that service is provided by a diabetes specialist nurse, a practice nurse, a general practitioner, a dietician, or any of the other professionals who provide diabetes care. They cover the key activities of:
	reviewing and investigating the health of adults with diabetes
	agreeing, implementing and supporting care plans
	In addition, Skills for Health is also developing national occupational standards for diabetes retinopathy screening. Work to develop the competence frameworks will be concluded in spring 2004 with the development of draft national occupational standards for diabetes retinopathy screening being achieved during summer 2004.

Disease Screening

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that no doctor or nurse will be employed in the NHS without first being screened for (a) hepatitis B, (b) hepatitis C, (c) tuberculosis and (d) HIV/AIDS; and if he will ensure that checks are made on existing medical and nursing staff in the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 December 2003
	Earlier this year, the Department published draft guidance to the national health service for consultation on health clearance for serious communicable diseases for new healthcare workers. This guidance proposes strengthening existing checks for tuberculosis and hepatitis B and introducing new checks for HIV and hepatitis C for new healthcare workers who will perform exposure prone procedures—where injury to the healthcare worker could expose a patient to the risk of infection from the healthcare worker's blood. Such procedures occur mainly in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, dentistry and midwifery.
	"Health Clearance for Serious Communicable Diseases: New Health Care Workers—Draft guidance for consultation" is available on the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/healthclear/guidance.htm
	Healthcare workers have a professional responsibility (as set out in guidance from their regulatory bodies and the Department) to promptly seek and follow confidential advice on whether they should be tested if they have any reason to believe they may have been exposed to infection with a serious communicable disease.

Domiciliary Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates (a) the Department and (b) the National Care Standards Commission has made of the number of domiciliary care providers operating in England that would be required to register with the Commission.

Stephen Ladyman: Before the introduction of regulation for domiciliary care agencies, the Department estimated that over 3,600 agencies operating in England would be required to register with the National Care Standards Commission. In fact, 4,322 registration applications have been received.

Fertility Experiments

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to prevent the sale of female eggs for fertility experiments;
	(2)  what his policy is on pharmaceutical companies offering financial inducements to women to donate eggs for use in fertility experiments; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Infertility research involving the use of human eggs requires a licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) if those eggs are mature and are placed in storage at the research centre and/or are to be fertilised with human sperm to create a zygote or embryo. Women donating eggs to such projects can be paid a maximum of £15.00 per donation plus expenses.
	The sale of human material that is not regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, including immature eggs, will be made a criminal offence by the Human Tissue Bill, which was introduced on 3 December 2003.
	All research projects involving the use of human gametes, including those that do not require a licence from the HFEA, must have the approval of the research centre's local research ethics committee before the project can go ahead.

Flu Vaccination

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the currently available influenza vaccination in offering protection against Fujian flu.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 9 December 2003
	The Chief Medical Officer asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to review current flu policy and effectiveness of the vaccine. At its meeting on 10 November 2003, the JCVI agreed that the current vaccine is expected to offer some cross protection against the Fujian-like strain and should give good protection against the virus strains in the vaccine.

Foundation Hospitals

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from (a) foundation trust applicants and (b) other hospital staff concerning the impact of the new financial flows system on their stability.

John Hutton: The Department published a Payments By Results consultation on 7 August 2003. The consultation closed on 31 October 2003. Responses to the consultation, including those from foundation trust applicants and other hospital staff, are currently being analysed and a response will be made available when this analysis is completed.

Genetic Information

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the time scale is for (a) developing policy options involving stakeholders and (b) consulting the public before the moratorium on the use of genetic information by insurance companies comes to an end in 2006.

Melanie Johnson: The Government have made clear its position on the use of genetic test results for underwriting life and health insurance in the October 2001 Government response to the report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: Genetics and Insurance.
	The Genetics and Insurance Committee (GAIC) is responsible for the evaluation of specific genetic tests and their relevance to particular types of insurance. GAIC also provides independent scrutiny of compliance with the terms of the moratorium on the use of genetic test results by insurance companies, which runs until November 2006. If there is evidence of non-compliance with the moratorium by the insurance industry, then the Government is prepared to enforce it through legislation, if necessary.
	The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) has been asked to work closely with GAIC to provide Government with further advice in developing a longer-term policy on the use of genetic information by insurance companies. GAIC and HGC will also monitor the effectiveness of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Code of practice on Genetics which is mandatory for all ABI members.
	HGC and GAIC held a well-received joint public meeting in September 2003. A number of interested groups, members of the public, attended this meeting, including representatives from organisations concerned with genetic disorders, as well as from insurance and re-insurance companies, and non-Governmental organisations with an interest in this area. HGC and GAIC are planning a further such meeting in 2004.
	Research is also under way to consider the use of genetic information in insurance underwriting. This research will be completed by 2005.

Health Care (Stoke-on-Trent)

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated at the North Staffordshire Hospital in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows the number of finished in-year admissions at University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust (formerly North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust) each year from 1997–98 to 2002–03.
	
		
			  Admissions 
		
		
			 1997–98 101,642 
			 1998–99 106,355 
			 1999–2000 122,241 
			 2000–01 121,978 
			 2001–02 113,621 
			 2002–03 135,665 
		
	
	Notes:
	Admissions
	Admissions are defined as the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	Grossing
	Figures have not (yet) been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

Health Care (Stoke-on-Trent)

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for a first consultant appointment was in Stoke-on-Trent for each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows the average (median) waiting times for first consultant out-patient appointment following general practitioner/general dental practitioner referral for University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust (formerly North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust) and North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.
	
		
			  Median waiting time (weeks) 
		
		
			 1995–96 9.22 
			 1996–97 8.60 
			 1997–98 9.05 
			 1998–99 9.16 
			 1999–2000 9.20 
			 2000–01 8.94 
			 2001–02 10.14 
			 2002–03 8.81 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form QM08

Health Care (Stoke-on-Trent)

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the clinical areas where the NHS in Stoke-on-Trent has longer (a) waiting lists and (b) waiting times than the English average.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows the number of patients, per 10,000 head of population, waiting for elective in-patient admission.
	
		
			 Specialty England North Stoke PCT and South Stoke PCT 
		
		
			 Trauma and orthopaedics 51.25 63.58 
			 Anaesthetics 0.96 1.37 
			 Medical oncology 0.04 0.04 
			 Mental illness 0.02 0.93 
		
	
	Note:
	Position at 30 September 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health form QF01.
	The table shows the average (median) waiting times (in months) for elective in-patient admission.
	
		
			 Specialty England North Stoke PCT and South Stoke PCT 
		
		
			 General surgery 2.56 4.02 
			 Trauma and orthopaedics 3.52 4.16 
			 Ophthalmology 2.87 3.06 
			 Anaesthetics 2.25 3.19 
			 Cardiology 2.47 2.83 
			 Mental illness 1.64 1.71 
			 All specialties 2.71 3.15 
		
	
	Note:
	Position at 30 September 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health form QF01.

Health Start Programme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the projected budget for the Healthy Start Programme is for each of the next three years;
	(2)  how much he has spent on the Welfare Foods scheme in each of the past three years.

Melanie Johnson: Total expenditure on the Welfare Food Scheme in England in the last three financial years is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 120 
			 2001–02 118 
			 2002–03 114 
		
	
	The budget is demand-led, but expenditure should continue at a similar level when the current scheme is replaced by Healthy Start at around the end of 2004.

Herbal Medicines

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of products currently on the market that will require a full marketing authorisation under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

Melanie Johnson: One of the main reasons why we have supported the development of the proposed Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products is the difficulty companies sometimes experience at present in providing evidence that their products fully satisfy all the criteria for a marketing authorisation, and in particular the requirements relating to efficacy.
	The current text of the proposed Directive provides that, where the competent authorities judge that a traditional herbal medicinal product fulfils the criteria for a marketing authorisation, the product will not be eligible for a traditional use registration. Our view is that it is likely that only a very small proportion of unlicensed herbal remedies currently on the United Kingdom market would be affected by this provision in a situation where an applicant was seeking a traditional use registration. However, it is not practicable for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to give a more specific estimate in advance of the launch of the proposed traditional use registration scheme or to conduct a detailed survey that would be burdensome to the industry.

Human Genetics Commission

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the Human Genetics Commission has been charged with (a) involving stakeholders, (b) conducting a public consultation and (c) developing a national policy on the use of genetic information by insurance companies;
	(2)  what plans his Department has for a public consultation to address the issue of genetics and insurance in preparation for the end of the current moratorium.

Melanie Johnson: The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) has been asked to work closely with the Genetics and Insurance Committee (GAIC), and with stakeholders, to provide Government with further advice in developing a longer-term policy on the use of genetic information by insurance companies.
	HGC is committed to involving the public in all of its activities. It holds its main meetings in public and has held a public fact-finding meeting on genetics and insurance following its survey of public attitudes to the uses of genetic information.
	HGC and GAIC held a well-received joint public meeting in September 2003. A number of interested groups, and members of the public, attended this meeting, including representatives from organisations concerned with genetic disorders, as well as from insurance and re-insurance companies, and non-Governmental organisations with an interest in this area. HGC and GAIC are planning a further such meeting in 2004.
	There are no plans for the Department of Health to carry out a public consultation on this issue.

Influenza

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to ensure that at-risk groups of people aged under 65 are receiving influenza vaccinations this winter, with particular reference to children over six months in at-risk groups.

Melanie Johnson: We launched a campaign on 1 October incorporating a number of strategies aimed at encouraging younger people in at-risk groups to receive their flu immunisation. The campaign incorporated:
	National television advertising.
	Advertising in national and regional newspapers and magazines, including ethnic media.
	Advertising in buses, on pharmacy bags and on-line.
	Work with commercial partners such as Gala Bingo and voluntary organisations, such as Heart UK and the National Asthma Campaign.
	The Chief Medical Officer wrote to all general practitioners with details of this year's influenza programme in his letter of 6 August 2003.

Influenza

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children are in the at-risk group for influenza; and how many of these have received an influenza vaccination this year.

Melanie Johnson: The number of children registered as at-risk is not held centrally. This year, for the first time, general practitioners have been asked to set up disease registers for all at-risk patients in order to maximise uptake in these most vulnerable patients.
	Vaccine uptake for at-risk patients is not available.

Mental Health Care

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) organisations and (b) expert professionals who have been consulted during his Department's review of specialised mental health care.

Rosie Winterton: The national director is leading a group of senior clinicians and managers who are considering the advice needed to support future commissioning and provision of specialised mental health services. In each instance they will consult acknowledged expert professionals and leading voluntary organisations. The review has considered three topics so far—eating disorders, perinatal psychiatry and Aspergers syndrome. The Eating Disorders Association gave evidence to the first topic and AsCUSE gave evidence to the session on Aspergers. There was no voluntary sector organisation available for the session on perinatal psychiatry.

Midwifery Units

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwifery-led units have been closed since 1997; how many were transferred to hospitals to become consultant-led units; how many consultant-led units were closed; and how many have become midwifery-led units since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

MMR

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the two-year-old cohort received the MMR vaccine in (a) the last 12 months, (b) 1997 and (c) 1990.

Melanie Johnson: Information about the uptake of MMR immunisations and other childhood immunisations is published annually. The latest information is in DH Statistical Bulletin, NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2002–03, available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0316.htm.
	The uptake levels for MMR by the second birthday by financial year (April to March) from 1989–90 to date are shown below in the table.
	
		Completed primary courses: percentage of children immunised by their second birthday, 1989–90 to 2002–03
		
			  Percentage uptake 
		
		
			 1989–90 84.0 
			 1990–91 87.1 
			 1991–92 89.9 
			 1992–93 91.6 
			 1993–94 90.8 
			 1994–95 91.0 
			 1995–96 91.9 
			 1996–97 91.5 
			 1997–98 90.8 
			 1998–99 88.3 
			 1999–2000 87.6 
			 2000–01 87.4 
			 2001–02 84.1 
			 2002–03 81.8

Nappies

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the Government's target to reduce disposable nappy waste; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: In July 2003, I met my hon. Friend, the Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elliott Morley), along with representatives from the Women's Environmental Network to discuss disposable nappy waste.
	The Department of Health supports the target on waste prevention and reduction. We believe women and their families should be given information on the use of both re-useable and disposable nappies to make an informed choice. "The Pregnancy Book" and "Birth to Five" are two comprehensive information booklets produced by the Department of Health and given free to all first time mothers. Both these publications give detailed information on both reusable and disposable nappies.

Neonatal Intensive Care

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish his response to the Report of the Neonatal Intensive Care Services Review Group; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: I expect to do so shortly.

NHS Dentistry

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the provision of NHS dentistry in Bolton.

Melanie Johnson: Bolton Primary Care Trust is in discussion with the recently launched Bolton Oral Health Advisory Group to address the provision of national health service dentists within the area.

Organ Transplants

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children are currently registered for an organ transplant in (i) St. Helens and (ii) Merseyside.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested in shown in the following tables.
	
		Patients over 18 resident in St. Helen's and Merseyside registered (active and suspended) on the national organ transplant list, as at 10 December 2003
		
			 Organ St. Helen's Merseyside 
		
		
			 Kidney 25 80 
			 Pancreas 1 4 
			 Kidney/pancreas 1 5 
			 Lung 2 5 
			 Heart/lung — 1 
			 Total 29 98 
		
	
	
		Patients under 18 resident in St. Helen's and Merseyside registered (active and suspended) on the national organ transplant list, as at 10 December 2003
		
			 Organ St. Helen's Merseyside 
		
		
			 Kidney — 3 
			 Pancreas — — 
			 Kidney/pancreas — — 
			 Lung — — 
			 Heart/lung — — 
			 Total — 3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. St. Helen's is taken as the former St. Helens and Knowsley Health Authority.
	2. Merseyside is taken as all other postcode with prefix 'L'.
	Source:
	UK Transplant.

Palliative Treatment

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent on palliative care in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Information about how much has been spent on palliative care in each of the last 10 years is not held centrally.
	The Government recognised in the NHS Cancer Plan (2000) that national health service support for specialist palliative care services needed to increase. We pledged to increase NHS investment in specialist palliative care by £50 million per annum by 2004. Ministers also made available an additional £10 million from central budgets in 2002–03.
	We have now set up a £50 million per annum central budget for specialist palliative care to ensure that our pledge in the NHS Cancer Plan is met. This extra £50 million over and above what is already being invested, is to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of services. All 34 cancer networks have submitted investment plans for the use of their allocation to the National Partnership Group (NPG) for palliative care (a joint NHS/voluntary sector group). The NPG has assessed the investment plans. Plans have been approved and allocations have been made to local cancer networks which will result in an additional 71 whole time equivalent consultants, an additional 162 whole time equivalent cancer nurse specialists and an extra 86 specialist palliative care in-patient beds. The £50 million represents a significant increase of nearly 40 per cent. in NHS funding for specialist palliative care over 2000 levels.

Pedometers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he has spent distributing pedometers to primary care trusts in areas of high deprivation.

Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health is contributing £27,000 out of a total budget of £85,000 for this initiative which will distribute 10,000 Step-O-Meters to general practitioner practices in areas of high deprivation and where there is a high rate of coronary heart disease. Other funding partners are The Countryside Agency and The British Heart Foundation.

Pregnancy Care

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of pregnant women have had as their first point of contact (a) a general practitioner and (b) a midwife in each of the last six years.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Pregnancy Care

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the varying rates of caesarean section in England.

Stephen Ladyman: In order to establish the reasons for the varying rates of caesarean section rates, the Department commissioned the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to carry out the first ever and biggest National Sentinel Audit. The findings of the audit were published by the RCOG in October 2001 and these have been referred to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to issue clinical guidelines. The guidelines are expected in January 2004.

Prevenar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many studies he has commissioned into the vaccine Prevenar.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has three studies on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the United Kingdom that are addressing a number of issues.
	the optimal schedule of this vaccine in the infants;
	the need for booster doses;
	the optimal schedule for catch-up for older children; and
	to assess the impact that introducing the pneumococcal vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule has on the level of protection given by the other childhood vaccines.
	These studies are part of an ongoing programme of research.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what preventive measures are being taken by NHS trusts to prevent respiratory syncytial virus;
	(2)  how many paediatric wards have been closed due to respiratory syncytial virus infection in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS trust;
	(3)  how many babies contracted respiratory syncytial virus while in each NHS hospital trust in the last 12 months;
	(4)  how many cases of respiratory syncytial virus have been admitted to each NHS trust in 2003.

Stephen Ladyman: Palivizumab, a monoclonal antibody, is indicated for the prevention of serious lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) requiring hospitalisation in children born at 35 weeks gestation or less, and who are less than six months old at the onset of the RSV season, or in children less than two years old who have received treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia within the last six months. The use of Palivizumab is a matter for clinical judgment.
	Information on the number of wards closed to new admissions owing to RSV, and RSV infections contracted while in each national health service (NHS) hospital trust, is not collected centrally. Information on the number of cases of RSV admitted to each national health service trust in 2003 has been placed in the Library.

School Fruit Scheme

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was (a) in total, (b) per school and (c) per pupil of implementing the Government's National School Fruit Scheme for each year of its operation.

Melanie Johnson: The National School Fruit Scheme has been progressively scaled up over the last four years, with schools joining during the course of each year. It is impossible to state the exact cost per school as this will vary, but the table shows the total cost of the National School Fruit Scheme in each year, with the number of schools and pupils taking part at the end of each year.
	The full-year cost per pupil has fallen as schools in each region have joined the scheme. The total annual cost per pupil in schools joining in spring 2002 was £26; for schools due to join in spring 2004 it is £19.
	
		
			  Cost (£ million) Schools Pupils 
		
		
			 2000–01 0.5 33 6,000 
			 2001–02 1.0 500 80,000 
			 2002–03 42 (over 3 years(34)) 6,400 616,200 
			 2003–04  8,680 1,097,000 
		
	
	(34) met by the lottery-funded New Opportunities Fund.

School Fruit Scheme

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of eligible (a) schools and (b) local education authorities have taken part in the Government's National School Fruit scheme since it began.

Melanie Johnson: Eligibility for joining the National School Fruit Scheme pilots has been extended region-by-region. At present, 7,586 schools in 87 local education authorities (LEAs) are taking part out of 7,938 invited to join, which is over 95 per cent. of schools and 100 per cent. of LEAs.

Sexual Health

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) 20 to 29-year-olds and (b) 30 to 39-year-olds were diagnosed with (i) HIV, (ii) chlamydia, (iii) gonorrhoea and (iv) syphilis per 100,000 population in each year since 1986.

Melanie Johnson: Information on the number of new diagnoses per 100,000 population for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis in England, in each year since 1991 (the first year for which data is available), have been placed in the Library. Data are not collected for the specific age ranges requested, but are shown for the age ranges 20 to 24 years and 25 to 34 years. The number of new HIV diagnoses in England, per 100,000 population, for the age ranges requested, since 1986 have been placed in the Library. Total numbers of new HIV diagnoses are also included.
	Sexually transmitted infection (STI) data is collected from genito-urinary medicine clinics. STIs diagnosed and treated by general practitioners or by health professionals in other settings do not form part of this data set.

St. Helens Hospitals

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses there were in (i) St. Helens and Knowsley Health Authority, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West Region in each year since 1992.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Stroke Units

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the definition of a stroke unit is under the National Service Framework for Older People's target for every hospital to have a stroke unit by April 2004;
	(2)  what specialist (a) equipment and (b) staff are needed in a stroke ward to change its designation to a specialist stroke unit.

Stephen Ladyman: The formal definition of a stroke unit is still being developed. We would expect, however, that there would be a consultant physician with specialist knowledge of stroke formally recognised as having principal responsibility for stroke services. This consultant would be supported by a multidisciplinary team who are specialists in stroke care. The key elements of a good stroke service are:
	vision, drive and leadership;
	interagency and interdisciplinary strategic view;
	the right workforce;
	establishing care pathways;
	the right contribution from primary care;
	involving users and carers;
	having the right long-term social and psychological support;
	good use of information technology;
	the right clinical governance; and
	effective management of change.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on consultancy fees by Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in each of the past three years; if he will list each consultant employed by the Trust; and on what matters they were requested to advise.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not held centrally.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been claimed in expenses by the chief executive of Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust since her appointment; and what her salary was in the past six months, including bonuses, where payable.

Melanie Johnson: The chief executive of Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust took up appointment on 1 June 2003. She receives an annual salary of £85,000 and has received £471 in expenses.
	Source:Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on wages for (a) management and (b) paramedics by Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in each of the past three years.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		£000
		
			  Expenditure on total senior managers and managers Expenditure on ambulance staff 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,797 13,283 
			 2001–02 1,807 15,399 
			 2002–03 1,827 17,121 
		
	
	Source:
	Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
	Figures for expenditure on paramedics are not available separately from expenditure on all ambulance staff.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to improve the performance of the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Melanie Johnson: This is a matter for the North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority. I understand that Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) National Health Service Trust has agreed an improvement plan with the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority. This recognises the issues which TENYAS faces and identifies appropriate actions to move the trust forward in 2003–04.

Whooping Cough (Vaccination)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the arrangements for offering adults vaccination against whooping cough; how many adults have been vaccinated in each of the last five years; how many cases of whooping cough in adults have been reported in the last five years; and how many deaths have been recorded.

Melanie Johnson: Pertussis disease (whooping cough) has been at the lowest levels ever observed in the past five years. Since the introduction of a pre-school booster dose in October 2001 pertussis levels have fallen further. We are continuing to monitor levels of pertussis to fully evaluate the impact of the booster dose. However, because pertussis has periodic cycles over several years, it may be several more years before the impact can be assessed accurately.
	The need for a booster dose for young people and adults will be assessed when the evidence becomes available. There is therefore no information on the number of adults immunised with the pertussis vaccine at present as it is not recommended.
	Information on notifications of pertussis disease are collected through the NOIDS system (Notification of Infectious Diseases). Information on deaths is collected by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Information on the number of notifications of pertussis in adults in the last five years is shown in the table. There have been no deaths attributed to pertussis in adults in the last five years.
	
		Number of notifications of pertussis in adults (England and Wales) in the last five years
		
			 Age group 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 15 to 24 year old 24 23 20 21 20 
			 25 to 44 year old 75 69 32 35 63 
			 45 to 64 year old 21 14 19 18 28 
			 65+ years 9 4 4 3 6 
		
	
	Source
	Health Protection Agency.

Workplace Issues Group

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the group looking at workplace issues will report; what the membership of the group is; what its terms of reference are; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The long term conditions care group work force team (LTCCGWT) is responsible for increasing the capacity of the work force supporting the delivery of neurology, diabetes, renal and dermatology services. The LTCCGWT is a multi-disciplinary advisory body working in support of the National Workforce Development Board and the Workforce Numbers Advisory Board in drawing up national workforce strategies. It takes a national view of the health and social care workforce pressures and priorities for the long-term conditions client group. Each year the LTCCGWT produces a report setting out its recommendations on work force issues, such as the need for increased numbers of staff and also new ways of working, including skill mix, role extensions and multi-disciplinary working, based around patient needs. This report, along with those from the other six CGWTs forms the overall report to the June meeting of the Workforce Numbers Advisory Board. The 2003 reports from the CGWTs will be published shortly for distribution to strategic health authorities and workforce development confederations. The reports will also be available on the CGWT website, together with details of the group's membership and terms of reference. The website address is: http://www. doh.gov.uk/cgwt/.